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STEWART FREE X.IBRARY 



A BRffiF HISTORY OF 



CORINNA, MAINE 

J804 - J9I6 



BY ULLA E. WOOD 




Class I ~ ^ 

Book > £ 4 S W 



A Brief History of Corinna 

Maine, from Its Purchase 

in 1804 to I9I6 



BY LILLA E. WOOD 



J. p. BASS PUBLISHING COMPANY, BANGOR, MAINE 
1916 



^f^i« 



C'* 



IT ISN'T YOUR TOWN, IT'S YOU. 



"If you want to live in the kind of a town 

Like the kind of a town you like, 

You needn't slip your clothes in a grip 

And start on a liang, long hike. 

You'll only find what you've left behind, 

For there's nothing that's really new. 

It's a knock at yourself when you knock your town, 

It isn't the town, it's you." 

"Real towns are not made by men afraid 

Lest aamebody else gets ahead, 

When every one works and nobody shirks 

You can raise a town from the dead. 

And if while you make your personal stake 

Your neighbors can make one, too; 

Your town will be what you want t»D see, 

It isn't the town, it's you." 



S/ytY^f 



5q 



FOREWORD 



This history is gathered largely from traditionary sources, though much 
of the material was taken from the tiawn records. It is not to be expected 
that there will be no errors, and it is to be expected that many, whose 
names are quite as impartant to the town as those mentioned, will be 
omitted. The reason for such omissions is not a desire to withhold honor 
to whom honor is due, but lack of information concerning them. Consid- 
ering that the author has known few of the people about whom she has 
written, perhaps a few mistakes may be pardonable. She does not claim 
any special merit for the history which follows either as to literary style or 
completeness, her wish is merely to preserve to future inhabitants of her 
native town a few of the interesting facts which it has been her good for- 
tune to discover. 

L. E. W. 



Dedicated to my native town 
CORINNA 



CHAPTER I 



PURCHASE AND FIRST SETTLEMENT 



The period folliDwing the Revolu- 
tionary War was a period of emigra- 
tion for inhabitants of Massachusetts, 
to wliat is now tlie state of Maine, the 
emigration being due partly to that 
spirit of the pioneer which makes him 
always aready to leave the haunts of 
his felliDws and push on to new land 
to settle, but doubtless greatly influ- 
enced by the various acts of the legis- 
lature of Massachusetts, which gave 
large tracts to the soldiers of the 
Revolution, their widows, or children, 
on condition of their clearing the land 
and residing thereon. 

ODrinna, however, was not settled 
in this manner, though doubtless 
many of her pioneers came to Maine 
in consequence of these acts, for we 
know that among the first residents 
were several veterans of that war. 

At Two Cents an Acre. 

It became the fad to buy a tract of 
land in the wilderness of Maine as a 
speculation, and in this manner the 
purchase of ODrinna was first nego- 
tiated, but when the date of settlement 
arrived, the unknown young man who 
was to buy it lacked the necessary 
funds, and in 1804, it was sold to Dr. 
John Warren of I3oston, the whole 
tract being sold at two cents per acre. 
There are 2.'3,()40 acres in the town, 
which would make the purchase 
an»3unt to $4G0.S0. Today the valua- 
tion of Corinna is $528,300. 

The town has increased in valuation 
in the past five years, $74,000. The 
valuation of the village is 40 per cent, 
of the whole and has increased seven 
per cent, in the past five years. 

The apparent worthlessness in the 
pioneer days of the land now the east 
side of Corinna village is illustrated 
by a story told by the late Joel Young. 
His father and mother, "Uncle Jim" 
and "Aunt Hannah" Young, went. to 
call upon "Uncle Robert" Moore and 
his good wife one day taking with 
them their dog. The dog in question 
was of that kind commonly known as 
a "yaller dog," but possessed some 
charm for "Uncle Robert," who tried 
to trade for the animal. Finally Mr. 
Moore offered to deed him what is 
now Selden Knowles' farm with sev- 
eral acres adjoining it in exchange 
for the yellow cur, but Mr. Young con- 
sidered "the Cedar Swamp" as worth- 
less, and rafused to trade. 



Dr. Warren was a brother of Gen- 
eral Joseph Warren of Bunker Hill 
fame and himself served as surgeon 
and head of the Boston hospital dur- 
ing the war. His purchase was de- 
scribed as "Township number four in 
the fourth range of townships north 
of the Waldo patent in the county of 
Somerset, District of Maine." 

Inducement to Settlers. 

Dr. Warren immediately showed his 
business sagacity by offering induce- 
ments to settlers such as would en- 
courage them to make their homes 
within his boundaries and sent Sam- 
uel Lancey, Esq., to bush out a road 
near the center of the township east 
and west, giving him in exchange for 
his lalior 170 acres of land, providing 
he should erect a house and barn 
thereon. 

Squire Lancey fulfilled his contract 
and built his log cabin home at 
Corinna Center on land afterwards 
owned by Jacob Philbrick and Wink- 
worth Allen. This barn was after- 
wards used for religious meetings un- 
til the erection of a schoolhiause. 

The town was sui-veyed by Isaac and 
Moses Hodgdon previous to the fore- 
going settlement. These men also 
surveyed Exeter and many other 
neighboring towns. They built a 
camp in the southeast part of the 
township and brought their supplies 
from East Corinth, 16 miles away. 

Sixteen miles to East Corinth in 
these days of good roads and automo- 
biles is a trifling distance, but 16 
miles through the dense forest on 
horseback with no roads at all was a 
far different matter. 

The next year, two brothers named 
Goodhue came to the same place and 
felled 18 acres of forest, and put in a 
crop of corn the same year. They, 
however, wearied of the solitude and 
abandoned their camp, allowing the 
grain ti3 rot in the bins where they 
gathered it. 

It is scarcely to be wondered at that 
these men gave up their undertaking 
when their nearest neighbors were in 
East Corinth, and only a blazed trail 
marked the way. Had they brought 
with them their wives and children, 
their home ties no doubt would have 
established them as permanent resi- 
dents. • 



6 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



The First Tragedy. 

Had they x'emained, the first ti'age- 
dy of which we have recoi-d might 
have been a\»jided. Among the first 
settlers came Mr. Chase and his fami- 
ly, and it was in their log home that 
the first child was born. Chase tired 
of the wilderness struggle, and left 
his wife and babies in the forest while 
he returned to Massachusetts there to 
remain. One can scarcely imagine the 
horror of that desertion to the wife 
who was left alone with her little ones 
to the deaalation of a wilderness home 
and a solitude which had proved too 
much for her husband to bear even 
with the aid of wife and children to 
]ielp him. Probably neighbors soon 
came to her aid, but all that is known 
of the sequel to her stijry is that she 
afterwards married a Mr. Hartwell. 

Along the east and west road, other 
families settled as follows; Thomas 
Barton, James Smith, Joseph Pease 
and Ebenezer Nutter; and as time 
went on, the township became dotted 
here and there with log cabins usually 
situated upon a hill or knoll, and 
noads were bushed out roughly be- 
tween the clearings of the settlers. 

Thomas Barton was a gi3od citizen 
but not active in public affairs. He 
was a soldier of the Revolution and 
in the census of 18-10 is mentioned as 
one of the four veterans then living 
in town. 

James Smith settled on what is now 
the town farm. 

Joseph Pease was a pioneer of Exe- 
ter as well as of Corinna. He set- 
tled in the eastern part of Corinna, 
and sold his farm to Henry Dearborn, 
a tanner and shoemaker of North 
Durham. N. H. Mr. Pease was one of 
the first baard of selectmen. 

Ebenezer Nutter, a single man, set- 
tled in the western part of the town. 
His name appears frequently in the 
early town records as holding respon- 
sible positions. 

Tlie First Mill. 

Dr. Warren induced Captain Joseph 
Ireland of North Newport and his 
nephew, Daniel Ireland, to erect a mill 
at what is now Corinna village. This 
mill was for both grist and lumber. 
The settlers paid for the grinding in 
grain and lumber hauled on "hoopling 
sleds." The supplies for the mill were 
brought on horseback from Bangor. 

After two years, the Irelands sold 
their rights to William Moore, Esq., 
and it was from then until its incor- 
poration called "Moore's Mills," which 
name included the whole settlement 
at the village. 

The history of Corinna is singularly 
free from Indian depredations, due no 
doubt to the location of the town 



which is between the Penobscot and 
Kennebec rivers, the water highways 
of the Indians, and not being either a 
favorite hunting or fishing ground, or 
located upon a trail of their favorite 
haunts. Their trails lay either to the 
east of Corinna or several miles far- 
ther west. So it was the occasional 
stragglers who came to dwell within 
its boundaries or to barter with the 
white settlers from time tiD time. 
Within the memory of citizens now 
living, an Indian named Louis Toma 
with his son. Mitchell, lived in their 
wigwam at what is called The Horse 
Back near Southard's Mills, and both 
father and son earned their living by 
weaving baskets. 

They were probably of the Penob- 
scot tribe. However tranquil our town 
histijry may be in this respect, many 
families have traditions of those of 
our first settlers who met with thrill- 
ing experiences prior to their settling 
here. 

These stories of Indian horrors no 
doubt kept our little great grandpar- 
ents awake long after the tallow "dip" 
had been extinguished and the fire in 
the fireplace had burned itself out. It 
must have been a very real teriiDr to 
the older members of the fainily. too, 
at times whenever the news of the 
outside world reached their settle- 
ment. 

Though we were secure from our 
Indian neighbors, there were other 
creatures of the forest less friendly 
than they for bears were common and 
other wild animals absunded. 

"Old Doctor" Fisher used to tell 
some of his personal experiences in 
the early days when he made his 
rounds on horseback. Upon one oc- 
casion his mare, Jennie, refused to 
cross a small footbridge iDver a brook 
that at that season of the year was 
dried up. The doctor urged the horse 
forward to no avail, tried to lead her 
across without effect, then finally his 
suspicions were aroused and he hurled 
stones and sticks at the bridge. 
Presently a big bear scrambled from 
under the bridge and disappeared intiD 
the woods, and the doctor resumed 
his way. 

At another time his horses were 
loose in an enclosure behind his barn. 
He went to the bars to saddle a hor!<« 
towards dusk and found all three 
horses racing excitedly back and 
forth across the small field and seem- 
ing afraid of siDmething in the further 
corner. He walked down toward the 
corner only to retreat hastily before 
three full grown bears. 

As money was scarce in the earli- 
days, he commonly accepted in p:< 
ment for his services, vegetabl. 
grain, a side of beef or perhaps a live 
lamb or pig. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



Often on retiring at night he would 
turn the lamb or pig loose in his back- 
yard until a more convenient time to 
care for its shelter; but he seldom 
needed to give the creature further 
thought for before morning the bears 
attended to the matter for him. 

Mr. and Mrs. Luke Mills came from 
Waterboro about 100 years ago and 
settled oppiDsite what is commonly 
called the Andrews' place. There 
their children were born. Azro Mills 
of Morse's Corner was their son. One 
day Mrs. Mills went to draw a pail of 
water at the well a short distance 
from the house and discovered in her 
path a very cunning bear cub. Her 
first inclination was to seize the cub 
in her arms and carry it to the house, 
but fearing that the mother bear 
might be near, she left it in the path, 
walked anaund it to the well, drew the 
water and returned to the house, leav- 
ing the cub in possession of the path. 

Some 50 years later a member of 
the writer's family was chased by a 
wildcat. 

Nor have wild animals in recent 
years become altogether extinct, for 
no longer than eight years ago last 
summer, a cow moose walked down 
Pleasant street, diawn School street, 
forded the stream and wandered off 
eastward toward the woods. 

Early Homes. 

First houses were of hewn logs, fur- 
niture was mostly built by the settlers 
themselves and their lives were simple 
in the extreme. 

Every One Worked. 

Everybody worked, men, women 
and children, and everybody needed 
to work to sustain life in the hard 
struggle i3f those first years in the 
wilderness. 

John Briggs came from Augusta in 
1816, following a spotted line. He 
purchased what is now known as the 
Rackliffe placed, felled the trees and 
cleared enough land to plant a crop of 
corn, erected a log cabin, then re- 
turned to bring his wife and children. 



That was the usual proceeding, al- 
though sometimes, man and wife 
came at the same time and worked tij- 
gether, clearing the land. All sum- 
mer the cow was hitched behind the 
cabin, as no barn had been built. At 
night the milk- was set upon the 
grindstone under a tree. One night 
a thunderstorm came and lightning 
shattered the tree, which in falling, 
upset grindstone and milk. 

Mrs. Martha Briggs, who died re- 
cently at the age of 100, recalled that 
upon one occasion during an unusually 
cold snap, to keep the corn from 
freezing, they lighted fires around the 
ciarn field at intervals and tended them 
all night. 

Mr. Briggs strapped a feather bed 
upon his horse's back for the journey 
to their new home and upon the 
feather bed Mrs. Briggs and the 
smaller two children, nade in state. 

This seems rather a novel mode of 
travel to us, but in those days was not 
uncommon, although the number of 
children riding with the mother, 
varied, and often, instead of a horse, 
they rode upon their cow. Some 
families came with a rude ox-cart, or 
with poles dragging from the saddle 
and their household goods fastened to 
the poles. Sometimes they drove two 
or three hogs or sheep, or, if their 
means would allow, cattle. 

Their goods and chattels were for 
the most part the barest necessities 
with perhaps a flax wheel or a spin- 
ning wheel. Almost always there was 
a Bible. The luxuries which they 
bnaught from their old homes, — a 
plate, a cup, pair of brass candlesticks, 
or the like,^ — today we treasure as 
priceless heirlooms. 

The homes they built were at first 
log houses only and with floors of 
Mother Earth. A big fireplace heated 
the one room and lighted it taD, and 
the same fire cooked all of the food for 
the family. 

The later log houses had floors and 
were comfortable and even cozy. 

Mrs. Frank Ireland bears the dis- 
tinctiian of having been born in a log 
house near the residence of W. S. 
Kimball. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



CHAPTER ir 



INCORPORATION 



Petition to Legislatui'e. 

In 11 years after the purchase of 
the township by Dr. Warren, the 
population had increased until in 1S15 
there were about 25 or 20 faniiUes, 
for in May of that year tlie follow- 
ing petition was drawn up, signed and 
presented to the Massachusetts legis- 
lature: 

"TId the Honorable Senate and House 
of Representatives of the Common- 
wealth of Massachusetts: 
"Humbly represent the subscribers, 
inhabitants of an unorganized Planta- 
tion on the east side of Kennebec 
river, in the county of Somerset, called 
Number Four, in the fourth range; 
that said Plantation aantains about 
25 or 26 families; that they labor un- 
der many inconveniences in not being 
able to support schools and make 
roads, and for the want of other 
powers which an act of incorparation 
would obviate; that there have been 
several corporations in the county 
with a population not greater than 
ours, which have been greatly bene- 
fited by the act. We, therefore, pray 
your honors would incorporate us into 
a town by the name of North Wood, 
with all the privileges and powers 
which other towns possess, and as in 
duty bound will ever pray. 

(Signed) 
Benjamin Bodge, Asa Russell, Nathan- 
iel Knowles, William Mathews, 
Enoch Hayden, Alpheus Hayden, 
Asa Heywood, Richard Labree, 
John Knight, Varen Packard, James 
Labree, Thomas Labree. William 
Labree, John Eliot. Samuel Cook, 
Nathaniel Winslow. Daniel Eliot, 
Charles Elder. James Young, Sam- 
uel Grant, David Russell, William 
Elder. Seth Knowles, William 
Hole, Andrew Crawford." 

We are unable to tell how many 
more families were actually residing 
here wli3se names were not sub- 
scribed, but it is probable that Squire 
Lancey, who was the first to settle in 
town, and whose name appears upon 
the town records later, was here then, 
but was not in favor of incorporation. 
Others seem also to have lapposed it, 
though the opposition was small. 

No records were kept during the 
Plantation days. 



I rather doubt if there was at that 
time even a beginning of a village in 
any part of the town, for as far as I 
have been able to locate the first 
places settled by these petitioners, it 
would seem that every locality of 
Corinna today had its representative 
among these 25 men. 

It was about this time that Squire 
Lancey erected the second mill in 
town and this necessitated a new road. 

These roads were of the crudest 
sort, and today would not be consid- 
ered passable. 

There were no bridges and tlie 
streams must be forded in summer, 
while in winter one might cross on 
the ice. Main street was a footpath 
through a cedar swamp. 

The act of incorporation was passed 
by the House and Senate of the Com- 
monwealth of Massachusetts, Dec. 11. 
1S16. and bears the following signa- 
tures: "Timothy Bigelow," Speaker; 
"John Phillips." President of the Sen- 
ate; "John Brooks," Governor; "A. 
Bradford," Secretary of the Common- 
wealth. 

Between the date of the petition for 
inoDrporation and the act of incorpor- 
ation, more than a year later, the 
name North Wood was changed to 
Corinna, which was the name of Dr. 
Warren's daughter. 

Act of Iiicoi'poration. 

The act of incorporation reads as 
follows: "Oammonwealth of Massa- 
chusetts. In the year of our Lord 
one thousand eight hundred and six- 
teen — An act incorporating the town 
of Corinna in the County of Somerset. 

Sec. 1. "Be it enacted by the Sen- 
ate and House of Representatives in 
General Court assembled and by the 
authi;)i-ity of the same that the town- 
ships north of the Waldow (Waldo). 
Pattern (Patent) in the County of 
Somerset, as contained within the fol- 
lowing described boundaries be and 
hereby is incorporated as a town by 
the name of Corinna. viz: East by 
the town of Exeter, north by the town 
of Dexter, «3uth by the town of New- 
port, and west by the town of St. 
Albans — and the inhabitants of the 
said town of Corinna are thereby 
vested with all the powers and privi- 
leges and shall also be subject to all 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



the duties and requisitions of other 
towns according to the constitution 
and laws of this commonwealth. 

Sec. 2. "Be it further enacted that 
any justice of the Peace for the Coun- 
ty of Somerset upon application there- 
for is hereby impowered to issue a 
warrant directed to a freehold inhabi- 
tant of the said town of Corinna re- 
questing him to notify and warn the 
(lualifled voters therein to meet at 
such time and place in the same town 
as shall be ai^pointed in the said war- 
rant for the choice of such officers as 
towns are by law empowered and re- 
quired to choose appoint at their an- 
nual town meetings in March or April. 

"In the House of Representatives, 
Decemljer the 10th. ISIO, this Bill hav- 
ing had three several readings passed 
to be enacted. In Senate, Dec. 11th, 
ISKi. this bill having had two several 
readings passed to be enacted." 

First Town Meeting. 

The warrant for the first Ktown 
meeting was issued by Samuel Lancey, 
Esq., justice of the peace, and was ad- 
dressed to John Eliot, the meeting be- 
ing called at the home of Benjamin 
Hilton, Saturday, March 1, 1817, for 
the purpose of choosing a inoderator 
and other town officers. 

Mr. Hilton was not among the peti- 
tioners and may have settled in town 
during the year and a half that had 
elapsed between the presenting of the 
petition and the incorporation of the 
town, or he may have been originally 
opposed to it, in which case our first 
settlers early manifested diplomacy 
in town business by having the first 
town meeting at Mr. Hilton's house 
and further by calling upon another 
non-petitioner. Squire Lancey, to is- 
sue the warrant. 

First Tow^l Officials. 

The officers chosen were: Samuel 
Lancey, moderator; William Elder, 
town clerk; William Elder, Joseph 
Peace and Constant Southard, select- 
men, assessoi-s and overseers of the 
poor; Benjamin Hilton was given the 
collectorship at five per cent., upon 
the condition that he should furnish a 
bond; Benjamin Hilton, constable; 
Ebenezer Nutter. town treasurer; 
Enoch Hayden. Jaines Smith, Josiah 
Burrill, John Burton, Seth Knowles, 
surveyors of highways; Enoch Hay- 
den, James Smith, surveyors of lum- 
ber; John Eliot. William Elder, field 
drivers; John Eliot, Liba Smith. Sam- 
uel Cook, Ebenezer Nutter, Arnold 
Chatman. hogreeves; William Elder, 
Simon Young, fence viewers; Enoch 
Hayden; Seth Knowles, tithingmen; 
Simon Young, pound keeper; William 
Elder, sealer of weights and measures. 



The second town meeting was held 
April 7, 1817, when it was voted to 
raise $200 for the support of schools 
and $100 for town expenses, a total of 
$;{00. This year, March 13, we raised 
$13,005.54. 

Cast 35 Votes for Maine as State. 

Corinna cast 35 votes in favor of 
Maine's becoming a state, and William 
Eld€r was elected delegate to the con- 
vention at Portland where the con- 
stitution was drawn up, and the citi- 
zens later, Dec. U, 1811), voted unani- 
mously for the adoption of the consti- 
tution. 

William King, the first governor of 
Maine, received all of the votes cast 
in Carinna which was 48. 

William Elder was our first repre- 
sentative to the Legislature. 

Besides those men who signed the 
petition for the incorporation of the 
town, the following men must have 
been residents here as early as March 
1, 1817; Saniuel Lancey, Esq., Janres 
Smith, Joseph Peace, Ebenezer Nut- 
ter, John Briggs, Constant Southard, 
Benj. Hilton, Joseph Burrill, Benoni 
Burrill, Saniuel Burrill, John Burton, 
Liba Smith, Arnold Chatman and 
Simon Young. 

There were probably many whose 
names appear on the town records a 
few years later who were already liv- 
ing in the town at that date, but were 
not old enough to be voters when the 
town was incorporated. 

Early Taxpayers. 

Corinna was the 220th town in the 
District of Maine. The year that the 
District of Maine was taken from 
Massachusetts and became the State 
of Maine, 1820, the taxpayers of Cor- 
inna were as follows: Isaac Mower, 
Walter Weymouth, Richard Labree, 
Peter Labree, James Labree, William 
Elder, Joshua Elder, Charles Elder, 
Jabez Bates, Samuel Hoyt, Joseph 
Blanchard, Thomas Brown, Liba 

Smith, James Smith, Jr., Ebenezer 
Nutter, Daniel Eliot, John Eliot, 
Stephen Vea.zie, William Matthews, 
Dodge Bachelder, John Briggs, John 
Clark, Benja. Hilton, Simon V'oung, 
Philip Morse, William Hole, John Jud- 
kins, Seth Knowles, James Couillard, 
John Hubbard, Wm. R. Page, Seth 
Knowles, Jr., Jonathan Knowles, Lew- 
is White, David Knowle.s, Deborah 
Young, Josiah Burrill, Benoni Bun-ill, 
\'aren Packard, Christopher Well. 

John Ireland, Constant Southard. 
Daniel Clough, Eunice Judkins, Sam- 
uel Kennedy, Eben Quimby, Elihu 
Lancaster, Wm. McKenney, James 
Young, Thomas Pratt, Benjamin 
Bodge, Samuel Morse, David Knowles, 
Enoch Hayden, Adkins & Couillard, 



10 A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 

Wm. Warren, Abram Cook, Samuel Samuel Sawtelle, Jonas Sawtelle, 

Cook, Mekinstey Pease, Joseph Ord- Abram Bean, Freman Craig, Jonas 

way. Comfort Spooner, John G. Couil- Warren, Benj. P. Winchester, Andrew 

lard, Joseph Pease, Caleb C. Knowles, Cole — 82 names in addition to the Arm 

Mace Smith, Samuel Capen, John name of Adkins and Couillard. This 

Knowles, Richard Austin. Nathaniel shows with what rapidity the popu- 

Knowles, John Burton, Constant South- lation increased after the first few 

ard, Joseph Burton, Peter Sanburn, settlements were established. 
David Russell, Hammond Russell, 



A BRIEF HISTORY OP CORINNA 



11 



CHAPTER III 



FIRST SETTLERS 



Many of the settlers of North New- 
port, as well as Corinna, came from 
Bloomfield, a part of Skowhegan, and 
the settlement of that part of Corin- 
na adjoining must have been made at 
about the same tinie. 

The Ireland family, who were the 
first settlers of North Newport, were 
the progenitors of all of the Irelands 
of Corinna. At the same time that 
Deacon John Ireland came to clear 
land for his home and prepare the 
way for his family, Nathaniel Burrill 
came froni Bloomfield and cleared his 
home farm where H. E. Turner now 
lives. This Burrill had no descendants 
but other Burrills. Josiah, Benoni and 
Samuel, the three sons of Benoni, Sr., 
later came from Bloomfield as early 
settlers of Corinna and are married 
into the Ireland family again and 
again. 

Benoni Burrill, Sr., was a soldier of 
the Re\i3lutionary War, and lived in 
Abington, Mass. He was in Abington 
in 1790, but sometime later removed to 
Bloomfield where he died and was 
buried in a pasture. His widow, Lydia 
Hunt Burrill. came to Corinna with 
her three sons, and some years later 
her husband's remains were brought 
here and buried. At Mrs. Burrill's 
death, she was laid beside her hus- 
band in the village cemetery. 

Other Bloomfield families are the 
Pratts. the Gardiners, and the 
Masons. 

Uncle Jereniiah. 

"Uncle" Jeremiah Titcomb, a sailiar 
and a pensioner of the war of 1812, 
came from the town of Gray at about 
the time that James Young arrived 
from Cornville, and later married a 
daughter of Mr. Young, named An- 
nie. Mr. Titcomb was of a jovial dis- 
piDsition and abounded in stories of his 
experiences upon the ocean. He was 
of the Adventist doctrine in religion 
and in 184.3 was one of those who set- 
tled their business and disposed of 
property preparatory to the "end of 
the world." He settled on Titcomb's 
hill, the last farm in Corinna, toward 
the east. He was by trade a stonecut- 
ter, and built, among others, the cellar 
of the old Corinna House. 

He was a great favorite with the 
young people who were always 
amtised to hear "Uncle Jeri-y" give his 
testimony in meetings and ODmpare 
himself to "an old ship," concluding 



with his hopes as to the "old ship's 
reaching port," all of which was de- 
livered with twinkling eyes and a 
broad smile. 

He was also fond of telling the for- 
tunes of the young people by examin- 
ing the "bumps on their heads." 

In his day it was customary for the 
relatives of the deceased at a funeral 
to treat the bearers to a generous 
draught of rum. He must have been 
possessed of more than ordinary 
strength for it was no unaammon 
thing for Mr. Titcomb to walk to the 
mill at the village, a distance of about 
four miles, with a half bushel of 
wheat on his back, have the wheat 
ground, return home with it, and then 
do a full day's work. 

The Knowles Family. 

Silas and Lovina Knox Knowles, 
parents of Columbus and Edwin 
Knowles of this town, came from 
Truro. Mass., about 1823 and set- 
tled in district number tJ east of what 
is now known as the old Knowles 
place where the Knowles reunions are 
annually held. Later they exchanged 
farms with a neighbor, and settled for 
life on the latter farm. The Knowles 
family is numerous in descendants. 

Two others of the name of Knowles 
were among the petitioners for the In- 
corporation of the town. Nathaniel 
and Seth. It is puDbable that Na- 
thaniel was the son of Seth, and that 
all others of the early Knowles set- 
tlers, with the exception of the Silas 
named, were sons of this Seth. or his 
brothers, as many of them if not all 
of them came from Fayette, which 
was his former home. 

Nathaniel Knowles was married 
three times and was the father of 19 
children, so it is scarcely remarkable 
that the name of Knowles is still 
prominent in Corinna. 

His first wife was Tamson Barker, 
whom he married April 30, 1816, and 
by whom he had two sons: Ira and 
Daniel. He married the second time, 
January 17, 1822, Polly Chamberlain, 
and their children were: Sally, Sum- 
ner, Salmon, Anna, B. Franklin, 
Emily, Betsey. Julia Ann, and Mary. 

March 20, 1838, he married Abigail 
Sojthard. Their children are: Lem- 
uel P.. Eveline M., Josephine F., Elbra 
Augusta, Orville H., Abby Frances, 
Susan N., and Fred. 



12 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 




THE PEARL HALL FARM, CORINNA CENTER, 

Known in Earlier Days as the John Knowles Place, Where One of the 

First Schools of the Town Was Held 



Seth and Anna Knowles' first child. 
John, was born March 4. 1799, the 
third child torn in Corinna. Their 
other children were: Henry, Anna, 
Lydia, Mary and Richard Emerson. 

David Knowles, 2nd. and Lydia 
Knowles had two sons, John and 

Caleb C. and Rachel Knowles also 
had two children. Horatio and Mar- 
tha. 

John Knowles evidently had two 
wives named Susannah for we find re- 
corded the birth of the first child in 
Corinna, as far as shown by the town 
books, Samuel Canada Knowles, "son 
of the second Susannah," Nov. 18, 
1798. It is LO be remembered that the 
first child was a Chase, but no record 
was kept. It is possible that these 
early births may have been elsewhere. 
or else the parents were "squatters" 
before the land was sold by Massa- 
chusetts to Dr. Warren. Such cases 
were not uncommon. He settled on 
the P. W. Hall place at the center. 

The other children were: Susannah, 
John. Lydia. William. Louisa, Robert, 
Charles and James. 

Nehemiah and Rebia Knowles had 
three children: Naomi. Nehemiah. 
Jr., and Henry. 



Jonathan and Fanny Knowles had 
twD sons. .lames B. and Cyrus Pres- 
ton, and a daughter. Sarah Frances. 

Roby Knowles and Mary Bassett. 
his first wife, had six children: Mary 
Ann, Joseph. Haskell. Loann, David 
Roby, and Cushman; and by his sec- 
ond wife, Victoria Knowles: Olive, 
Estelle, Warren and Walter. He 
came to Corinna in 1814 with his 
father. David, and mother, Mary, and 
settled where David Palmer now 
lives. They came from Fayette and 
forded the Kennebec river. Mrs. 
Knowles rode on horseback and car- 
ried a baby in her arms. RiDbert 
Knowles was then 12 years of age. 
They drove three cows and three hogs 
with them. Mr. Knowles as well as 
the children was barefooted. There 
was only a muddy tow-path through 
where Corinna village now stands 
when they came. At first, food was a 
scarce article, and they lived much 
upon buckthorn brake-roots and milk. 
Roby Knowles afterwards settled 
where Sears J. Shepard now lives at 
Morse's Corner. 

In the first census, 1790. Fayette, 
then known as Starling Plantation, 
had among its citizens a John and a 
David "Knowly" which is no doubt 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



13 



intended for "Knowles." In many 
cases the census taker was a poor 
speller and penman, and many names 
were all but illegible. 

Freeman Knowles lived at Corinna 
Center where A. H. Parkman now 
lives and kept a store in the little 
store adjoining. He was also post- 
master. 

The Knowles family is perhaps the 
most numerous as well as one of the 
most prominent iDf our pioneers. 
First Public House. 

William Moor seems to have come 
to Corinna about 1S2() and purchased 
the mill from the Irelands. He added 
one set of stones for grinding and a 
hand bolt. It is related that the 
stone, which surrounds the hitching 
pDst at Sidney H. Winchester's resi- 
dence, is one of these old millstones 
of the first mill. 

Mr. Moor erected a house where the 
old Corinna House was afterwards 
built, nearly in front of Eastern Grain 
Company's grist mill. Later he built 
a public house west of the mill and 
where Stewart Public Library now 
stands. That was replaced by the 
tenement l")uilding known as The Bee- 
hive, which, in turn was destnDyed by 
fire, and gave place to our beautiful 
public building. 

Squir'i Ebenezer Nutter settled 
where Milton Wingate now lives. 
Squire Nutter was one of the first men 
drawn on the jury and earned his 
board while in Bangor by blowing the 
bellows in a blacksmith shop. 

The Buxton family was already set- 
tled at Buxton's Corner when one day 
there arrived at their door a weary 
trio composed of Mr. and Mrs. James 
Smith and their three weeks old baby, 
who had come all the way from 
Bloomfield that day, Mrs. Smith rid- 
ing horseback and carrying the tiny 
baby in her arms. The horse was 
further burdened Ijy household uten- 
sils, and strapped to the saddle was a 
spinning wheel. The Smiths took up 
their residence in a hastily built log 
house on the site of what is now 
Corinna town farm. The exact date 
of their coming is unknown, but they 
were among the earliest families. 

"Uncle" Daniel Smith, J. C. Smith's 
grandfather, came from Lowden, N. 
H., and for many years lived where 
Mrs. Hannah Richardson now lives. 
His blacksmith shop was across the 
street on land now occupied by the 
residence of Mrs. Alberta Emery. Hiw 
first wife was Elizabeth Wiggin, and 
he married for his second, Fannie Ire- 
land, who was the first baby girl born 
in Corinna. He first settled between 
the residence of W. L. Pitcher and 
J. E. Flagg. 

Mulliken's stream takes its name 
from Nathaniel Mulliken, who helped 



to build the first bridge in the village, 
and his father, John R. Mulliken. The 
latter lived in later years on George 
Young's land on Pleasant street south 
of I'is residence and opposite "the big 
tree," an immense maple between the 
street and the sidewalk. John Mulii- 
kin came from Tuffleboro, N. H., and 
related that in Tuffleboro, it was so 
cold that he once threw a pail of 
water out of a chamber window and 
it froze before it touched the ground. 

Tobias Leighton settled where Loren 
Dearborn now lives. 

Ezekiel Leighton, a veteran of 
the War of 1S12, and Lydia Pearl, 
his wife, of Mount Vernon, settled 
near where George Faotman now 
lives. 

Dr. Borden once lived at the town 
farm and the corner was then called 
for him, Borden's Corner. 

The Eliots. 

The Eliots, John and Daniel and 
French were prominent men in town 
affairs and prominent members of the 
church and temperance societies. 
They were aristocratic in manner and 
dress. 

li'rench Eliot was very orthodox in 
his views and considered the theatre 
the very essence of wickedness. His 
niece, Mrs. Mary Eliot Enneking, re- 
cently told of her uncle and aunt's ar- 
rival in California when they left 
Corinna and went west to live. 
Friends showed them the city, and 
she, not being as rigid in her views as 
was her husband, they took her 
among other places to the theatre. 
When she reported the fact, her hus- 
band was greatly concerned for her 
spiritual welfare and scolded her for 
her worldly-mindedness. Mrs. Eliot 
exclaimed in conciliation, "Oh well, 
French, 1 only went to a matinee," 
and her husband, not knowing the dif- 
ference, was consoled by her explana- 
tion. 

The brick house where Oliver L. 
Jones now lives was built by Daniel 
Eliot, and the John Eliot homestead 
is now owned by W. L. Pitcher. 

Dr. Jacob Eliot settled where J. H. 
Winchester lives at Corinna village. 

John and Lucy Eliot, had a son, 
John, born Sept. 16, 1817. 

The children of Daniel and Edith 
Eliot were: James Hayden, born 
Sept. 25, 1816; Lydia Hayden, June 16, 
1818; Mary Ann, Oct. 11, 1819; Dolly, 
Feb. 10,1821; Elizabeth, Sept. 22, 1822; 
Harriot, April 22, 1824. 

Alphonso Elliott and his wife, 
Mary, had a son, Rufus S., born July 
5, 1819, and a daughter, Sarah Ann, 
born Feb. 14, 1821. 

John Eliot once made a trip to Bos- 
ton when travel of so extensive a na- 



14 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



ture was most uncommon. Upon his 
return, he was dubbed by his friends, 
"Boston John." 

The Eliot family are nearly all resi- 
dents of the west, although a de- 
scendant resides in Dexter. 

Where E. M. Dunning now lives, 
familiarly known as the "Mills place" 
was once a store which was run by a 
Mr. Wessenger. 

The Sherburne house, another of tlie 
old residencees of the town, had a 
store in connection which was run by 
Mr. Sherburne. Mr. Knowles, Mr. 
Morse and others were in business at 
the Corner at various times. 

Elder Couillard was an early settler 
at the Corner. I find the names of 
James and Olive Couillard's children 
given as follows: Olive, born May 22, 
1797; Betsy, Sept. 19, 1799; Stephen 
King, Sept. 7, 1801; Polly, Sept. 8, 
1803; Margaret, Sept. 29. 1805; Su- 
sannah, Nov. 4, 1807; Nancy, May 14, 
1810; David Spooner. Aug. 5, 1812. 

At the time of the Civil War, Silas 
Morse was keeping store in the Sher- 
burne building and lived where C. J. 
Tiickey now lives. 

Gibson Patten then traded in what 
was afterward called the Bachelder 
store. Mr. Patten sold out his busi- 
ness to Mr. Morse and went to the de- 
fense of the Union. 

David Hicks lived where Jlary 
Young lives near the brick school- 
house. 

Isaac Veazie settled opposite the 
Morse's Corner cemetery. 

Mr. Banton lived in the house be- 
yond and was a wheelright by trade. 
J. C. Smith now owns one of the 
sleighs which he made. 

Morse's Corner was once the busi- 
ness center as well as the social cen- 
ter of the town, and it was here that 
Fourth of July celebrations and Sun- 
day school picnics were celebrated and 
in those days the whole town turned 
out to participate in the festivities. 

The Southard Family. 

Southard's Mills takes its name 
from William, the eldest son of Con- 
stant and Sally Southard of Leeds, 
Me , who were among the first fami- 
lies in point of early settlement and 
also in importance, for he served as 
one of the first board of selectmen, al- 
though the absence of his name in 
the list of petitioners would seem to 
indicate him a new-comer in the 
spring of 1897. Their children, part 
of whom were born in Leeds, were as 
follows: William, born Feb. 7, 1908, 
Cxorham. May 25, 1811; Harriet, June 
21 1813; Abigail, Nov. 21, 1815; 
George. N«3V. 27. 1817; Joslin. Dec. 6, 
1819- Moses, Nov. 21. 1822; Samuel 
Constantine, May 4, 1824; Paul M- 
Feb. 4. 1826; Christina. Aug. 6, 1828; 
Mary Ann, Jan. 11, 1831. 



The Southards settled first on the 
Sewell Dearborn farm, where A. H. 
Bell now lives, which they cleared and 
rendered habitable. They came orig- 
inally from Marshfield. Mass., and 
were descendants of one of Gov. 
Bradford's stepsons, the name on the 
early Massachusetts records being 
spelled "SiDuthworth." Constance and 
Sally Southard are buried in the pas- 
ture near their old home. 

William married Maria Ambrose of 
Mortonboro, N. H., and they settled 
first where Joel Young afterwards 
lived, clearing the land and erecting a 
cabin thereon. Later they cleared the 
large farm at Southard's Mills and 
erected the dam and sawmill which 
has been in operation ever since and is 
now owned by F. H. Welch. Arah 
fouthard lives in the old William 
Southard place. 



The Masons. Abijah M. and Lydia, 
with their ten children came from 
Bloomfield and settled on the Hamm 
farm in a log cabin at the junction of 
the two roads known from its flatiron 
shape as "the heater piece." Later 
they erected the frame dwelling now 
standing. Among their children 
were: Mary Jane, who married 
Hezekiah Lancaster, Silas, Alexander, 
Leonard. Abijah who was killed in 
battle in the Civil War. and a daugh- 
ter who was afterwards Mrs. Fitzger- 
ald of Dexter. 

They settled at about the same time 
that the Beans and the Nickersons 
came. 

Abijah Mason belonged to the Dex- 
ter militia and went to the Aroostook 
war. Mrs. Mason drew a pensii^n 
during the last of her life. 

The fact that Abijah Mason be- 
longed to the Dexter militia company 
at the time of the Aroostook War of 
1839, may explain the lack of a record 
of any Corinna coinpany on the state 
records, fiar it may be that those 
whom tradition says marched may 
have at that time belonged to the 
Dexter company as did Mr. Mason. 

Edward Moody, Levi Moody's 
grandfather, was a Revolutionary sol- 
dier and came from Tarmouth, N. H., 
91 years ago. He brought with him 
his family, and moved them and his 
household goods with a four-ox team, 
his son, Flint B. Moody, a boy of 14, 
walking behind and driving the cows. 

They settled on the Mason .place 
now occupied by E. E. Hamm. A few 
years later, an older son came with 
his wife and settled in a liDg cabin 
where George A. Tibbetts lives at 
Pleasant Vale. The wife, however, 
was so homesick that they returned to 
New Hampshire. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



15 



When the Moodys came to Corinna 
to make their home, there were sev- 
eral families in their vicinity already 
located, having come nine or ten years 
previously. Among them were the 
Potters. Holiday, and his wife, Nancy, 
who were settled on the Dunham 
farm, and whose daughter afterwards 
married Flint Moody. 

Captain Bean, George Tibbetts' 
grandfather, lived across the road 
from Mr. Tibbetts' home. When 
James and Margaret Bean with their 
children: Jacob, Margaret, Neal, Re- 
becca W. and Nelson, came from 
Sandwich, N. H., in 1827. and settled 
at Pleasant Vale on what is called the 
Lowell Knowles place, there was only 
a fi^otpath from Pleasant Vale cor- 
ner to their home and also from the 
corner to Lyford's Corner. There was 
no path at all where the south road 
now is. There was a log house across 
the road from where GetDrge Tibbetts 
now lives and another one where 
Everett Simpson's barn stands. Isaac 
Williams lived in the former and Asa 
White, father of H. W. White, in the 
latter. 

Amos Worthen built the frame 
house that is now used by Everett 
Simpson as a workshop. Mr. Bean 
also erected a frame house on his 
land. 

Rebecca W. Bean married Joseph 
Tibbetts who came here from Fair- 
field about 1850. George A. Tibbetts 
is their son. 

James Bean was a man of powerful 
physique and noted for fetes of 
strength. It was his custom to come 
on horseback with grists to Moor's 
mill and on one such occasion he had 
started to return with the grist and 
was already on his horse when a 
stranger challenged him to fight. 

Mr. Bean, or "Captain" as he was 
called because of having held that 
position in the Corinna Militia, replied 
that he didn't want to fight. The 
stranger persisted in his efforts to 
start a quarrel until finally Captain 
Bean leaned over, grasped the 
stranger by his collar and, hiDlding 
him at arm's length, rode with him up 
the hiill as far as Uncle Ben Moor's 
house (H. W. Knowles' residence), 
where he dropped him in the road 
and continued on his way home. The 
mill then stood about where the 
I. O. O. F. block is now. 

At another time, a neighbor was 
raising a barn and the men were all 
working to put it up bn^adside as was 
customary. They had it partly up 
and had called the women to prop it, 
since they could get it no further, 
when Capt. Bean rode into the yard. 
He promptly put his great strength 
at their service and with the order 



"Up with it," raised it with little ap- 
parent effort. 

Beyond the Pleasant Vale limits 
was k settlement known as Ossipee, 
because its pioneers came from Ossi- 
pee, N. H. Prominent among them 
was William Nickerson, who cleared 
the land and settled on the Harrison 
W. White place, and there erected a 
dam and mill for lumber and shingles, 
William and Hittie Nickerson had a 
large family of children among whom 
were: Aaron, William, Josiah, Mer- 
riam, (Mrs. Albert Remick) Mehit- 
able and John who died in the army. 

Others of the settlement were the 
Williams family, and Lovina White's 
father, Humphrey White. 

Humphrey White lived across the 
road from the Nickersons in a log 
house with no floor, and settled at 
about the same time. 

John Weeks settled where Isaac 
Bates now lives. 

Bial Lancaster settled on the old 
Lancaster place at about the same 
time that Liba Smith settled in 
Corinna. They both came from 
Bloomfleld, now part of Skowhegan. 

Deacon Elder, oldest son of William 
Elder, who was one of the petitioners 
for the incorporation of the town, set- 
tled in the northwest part of Corinna 
where Clarence Higgins now lives 
and probably came from Green as did 
John Mower, who settled where 
Elmer Cole lives. 

Thomas Brown, the settler of the 
Mell Nichols place, came from Bloom- 
field. 

Hiram and Isaac Moore of Greene 
settled near the Moore pond at about 
the same time, 100 years ago. 

"Col." Labree settled where Reed 
Packard lives. The colonel was one of 
the first representatives to the legisla- 
ture and was absent from home about 
five or six weeks attending to state 
affairs. He returned to town on foot 
and via Lyford's Corner, and dropped 
in to the hotel kept by "Bily" Lyford 
to rest and exchange views with his 
neighbors. In the course of conversa- 
tion he inquired: "Wonder if they 
make as many cedar shingles over in 
Corinna as they used to ?" The question 
amused his friends on account of his 
short absence from home and they 
used it as a by-word ever after to 
tease the Colonel. 

Levi Moody recalls hearing his 
uncle, Edward Moody, son of the first 
Moody settler, tell about Capt. La- 
bree's company of militia that marched 
in 1839 to the Aroostook border, being 
called out hastily at night for the ex- 
pedition. Some of the party never 
completed the journey but Mr. Moody 
went to Fort Fairfield. Mr. Moody 
says that the company stopped in Ban- 
gor either on the way north or on the 
return. 



16 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



A Mr. Parker settled where Weyland 
Philbrick lives. 

Simon Philbrick, father of Jacob 
and grandfather of Weyland Philbrick, 
settled the George Booker farm. 

Alvin Young settled where J. W. 
Blaisdell lives. 

LeBaron Weymouth's father settled 
his farm near Moore's pond, James 
Weymouth settled nearby. 

David Prescott settled beyond 
Moody's mills, Blisha Thompson set- 
tled where Albert Thompson lives near 
the Dexter line on the back road. 

Simeon Adams settled where William 
Snell afterwars lived. He was a cob- 
ler by trade and some of his tools are 
now in the possession of Clinton Snell. 

Benj. Burrill lived where M. L, 
Flander.s now lives. Jas. P. Copeland 
lived where Mrs. Almy Curtis lives 
Sanford Stephens built the house 
where Arthur J. Cook lives. 

The H. H. Fisher residence was oc- 
cupied by Deacon Fish. Thomas An- 
drews once lived where J. C. Smith 
lives now. James Babb settled on the 
Seth Lancaster place. Elder Sherman 
Stone settled the Elmer Hopkins farm. 
The Stinchfleld family settled where 
Percj' Ireland lives. 

Among the signers of the petition 
for incorporation of the town of 
Corinna, appears the name of William 
Hole, dark and foreign in com- 
plexion and appearances, ma one 
knew his nationality nor his origin. 
Not even his name was known to his 
neighbors, for William Hole was one 
given him because of his manner of 
coming to Ainerica. He was a stow- 
away in the hold of a European sail- 
ing vessel that touched at a New Eng- 
land port; and when he was put 
ashore, unable to speak the English 
tongue, someone applied the name 
William Hold, which came to be 
William Hole by the time he settled in 
Corinna. He never gave the reason 
for leaving Europe and was always a 
mystery to his associates. He settled 
in a house back of the residence of 
A. L. Hayden, between Corinna village 
and Morse's Corner, the old Elder 
Nelson place. He had been a sailor in 
his early life, and had a sailor's liking 



for rum, so that occasionally he rode 
horseback to Bangor, and returned 
with two poles dragging from his 
saddle, and upon them was strapped 
a barrel of the liquor. He practiced 
the blacksmith's trade at Morse's 
Corner. His wife's name was Mary, 
and their children were: Elizabeth, 
born Jan. ^1, lc"S(l9; Joseph, July 4, 
18112; Mary, Nov. 11, 1815; Lovina, 
July 12, 1818; William Jr., June 7, 
ISl'i. 

First Town Faiin. 

During Andrew Jackson's adminis- 
tration, there was a division made of 
the surplus funds in the United States 
treasury among the towns of the 
country. In 1838, article 8 of the 
town warrant, provided for a decision 
as to a farm on which to keep the 
poor. It was voted to expend "so 
much of the surplus revenue now 
loaned out as it will take to buy a 
farm for the poor of the town." The 
farm purchased was our present town 
farm, which is rented and occupied by 
Mr. and Mrs. Willis Jewell, because 
for several years Corinna has had no 
paupers to make a town farm neces- 
sary. 

At the time of this town meeting, 
"Tame" Hole was very anxious that 
the town should divide the money 
among the citizens instead of using it 
for a public expenditure, and when 
later the town was in possession of 
the town farm, he vented his spleen 
by going to the farm in a state of in- 
toxication aad throwing stones at the 
windows until he shattered every pane 
of glass. The managers of the farm 
at that time were an elderly couple and 
the other occupants of the house were 
children. But little as he desired the 
purchase of a farm for the maintenance 
of the town's poor, his descendants 
reaped the benefit of its purchase. His 
son, Walter, married Lefa Hoyt, and 
they, as town charges, cost Corinna a 
large sum of money, before death end- 
ed the line of William Hole, or Hold, 
in Corinna. 

William Hole lived to be about 100 
years of age, and lies in the Morse's 
Corner cemetery. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



17 



CHAPTER IV 



THE FIRST PHYSICIAN 



The first practicing- physician in 
Corinna was Dr. Paul M. Fisher, and 
for many years he was the only doctor 
in Corinna, ministering to those in sur- 
rounding settlements as well. He was 
the son of Paul M. Fisher, M. D., and 
Artimissa Aldrich and was born in 
Wrentham, Mass., where his father 
practiced medicine for more than 50 
years. 




DR. PAUL M. FISHER 

Dr. Fisher, junior, was la Yale man 
and afterwards studied medicine at 
Harvard and it was while in Boston 
completing his medical education that 
he met and fell in love with Miss Mary 
M. Fifield of Corinna, a native of 
Exeter, N. H. Miss Fifield was en- 
gaged as a seamstress in Boston at the 
time. They became engaged and 
took passage on a sailing vessel for 
Bangor on their way to Corinna to be 
married at her home. It took two 
weeks for the voyage, and from Ban- 



gor they rode through the woods fol- 
lowing a blazed trail, both riding upon 
one horse. Their marriage intentions 
were published Sept. 4, 1825, and the 
record of their marriage bears the 
date Sept. 19, 1825. Abra Bean, Jus- 
tice of the Peace, performed the cera- 
mony. 

Dr. Fisher. 

Dr. Fisher began at once the build- 
ing of a log cabin home, clearing the 
land for its site on what was after- 
wards known as the old Deacon Gil- 
man farm adjoining the cemetery at 
Morse's corner. There the next year, 
the first of their children was boi'n. 

With the exception of only one or 
two years, his name appears on town 
records as town clerk, selectman, 
school committee or treasurer, every 
year following his arrival in Corinna 
until he left town to become a surgeon 
in the Union army 30 years later. 

Duiing the early years of his prac- 
tice he made his rounds on horseback 
and the sight of his flapping saddle- 
bags was a familiar one to all. Later 
he substituted a gig when roads had 
been constructed to admit of its use. 

The old doctor was e.xtremely fond 
of children and always ready for a 
frolic with them and many are the 
stories told of his pranks. He was of 
a sunny disposition, though possessed 
of a quick temper, and was always 
very blunt and outspoken in his manner 
of speech, and known to speak pre- 
cisely what he thought. 

Not only did the patients like to see 
the jolly old doctor coming, but other 
members of the family enjoyed his 
jokes and funny stories as well. 

Yet members of his household knev/ 
that he could administer justice in 
household troubles with a sternness of 
manner that fixed the impression in 
their memories. One day one of the 
grandchildren had occasion to prove 
this statement. 

Dr. Fisher's Cucumbers. 

In the old days, cucumbers were a 
luxury, and Dr. Fisher had a single 
cucuml)er growing on a vine in his 
garden. He watched it daily in antic- 
ipation of the day when it should be 
large enough to be picked and 
ealen. He was not the only one 
watching that cucumber, and one day 
little Clara picked it and ate it. 



18 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



The old doctor was much concerned 
that his grandchild should have taken 
the cucumber without asking, and 
probably quite as chagrined that 
somebody had deprived him of his 
taste of cucumber. 

in the living room was the large 
family Bible, leather covered and 
adorned with gold lettering, and oc- 
cupying its place of state on the living 
room table. Calling the child to him, 
he spoke at great length concerning 
the wickedness of stealing, and ended 
v.ith this terrible threat— that if she 
ever stole again he should remove 
her name from the family Bible be- 
cause "we mustn't have the name of 
a thief in the Bible." 

Doctor's Bills. 

The doctor's book gave records ol 
the payment of doctor's bills by labor 
fruit or produce. Sometimes it was a 
cow or a sheeii or hog. 

Often patients ran up a large bill 
coxoring several years' time and died 
without paying any part of it. Gener- 
ally the doctor entered opposite such 
accounts in his ledger, "Settled by 
death" and often with entries after 
this item such as the following: "He 
was a good man and would have paid 
if he could," but sometimes the com- 
ment was not so complimentary and 
e> pressed a strong belief in the doc- 
trine of fire and brimstone. 

Dr. Fisher was a descendant of 
Thomas Fisher of Winston, County 
Suffolk, England, who was in Cam- 
bridge as early as 1634 and went to 
Dedham, Mass., as one of its first set- 
tlers in 1637. He later went to Wrcn- 
tham, with others from Dedham, to 
setle. The line of descent was as 
follows: Deacon Samuel Fisher, Capt. 
Ebe;neezer Fisher, Ebeneezer Fisher, 
Esq . David Fisher, Dr. Paul M. Fish- 
er, Sr., Dr. Paul M. Fisher, Jr., the 
last named being the first physician of 
Cormna. 

Dr. Fisher purchased of Jotham 
Piatt the old tavern known as the 
t^orinna House situated near where 
Eastern Grain company's mill stands. 
Dr. Warren of Boston, the original 
owner of Corinna, traded with Dr. 
Fisher 2000 acres of land in West Vir- 
ginia for this hotel property. Dr. 
Warren made similar exchanges with 
Souire Hawes, Samuel Burrill and sev- 
eral others. 

Tne land in the south was represent- 
ed to be fertile and suitable for 
homes for the colony of Corinna peo- 
ple who set out to inhabit it. Accord- 
ingly they went to the nearest port. 
Coals Mouth. Va., with their families 
and household goods. 

Upon arriving there, it was found 
necessary to ride many miles into the 
mountains to their destination. Nor 



was that the worst of it, for suitable 
conveyances were not to be had at any 
pri^e because these people from the 
north were regai'ded as spies by the 
slave holders of the community and 
the little company received anything 
but a pleasant reception. 

When finally the start was made 
however, Mrs. Fisher and some of the 
youiiger members of the party were 
riding in the last carriage obtainable. 
Suddenly it fell to pieces and parts of 
the harness gave way, showing that 
they had been tampered with by the 
unsocial Virginians. The country 
through which they passed was 
poverty stricken in the extreme, but 
they passed on toward their destina- 
tion, the land where they were to lay 
out their farms and build their homes. 

When at last they reached their own 
property, it was found to be on the 
side of a mountain and as barren and 
desolate as it well could be. There 
was no possibility of farms for noth- 
ing could possibly grow where there 
was nothing but rocks in which to 
plant it. 

One Room Cabins. 

They built their cabins by digging 
avay enough of the mountain side to 
afford floor space for one room. Eac'i 
room had of necessity ^o be a separate 
cabin, as no places were wide enough 
tc give floor space for more than one 
small room. 

No doiii::t it was a homesick band 
that looKed out from their crude 
cabins on the mountainside where 
nothing gave proinise of future abund- 
ance to be acquired by toil be it ever 
so patient, and little Corinna with its 
homely comfort must have doomed 
large by comparison. The main room 
or cabin had a loft reached by a lad- 
der, the floor being of boards made by 
the men themselves and so crudely 
fashioned that one standing above 
could easily see what was passing in 
the room below. The men of the col- 
ony were justly indignant at the sharp 
trade Dr. Warren had put through and 
wrote him to come to their settlement. 
So insistent was their summons that 
he came. The interview Avas a stormy 
one but ended with Dr. Warr'm's trad- 
ing back the property. This inter- 
view was witnessed from the loft by 
a woman and two frightened children, 
one of whom related the incident to 
the writer. 

The Hawes family, the Burrills and 
probably all of the others with the ex- 
ception of Dr. Fisher and family, re- 
turned to Corinna. He went to Rut- 
land, La Salle county, Illinois. There 
his youngest son, George H. Fisher, 
settled afterwards ren.oving to Santa 
Clara, CaJ., his present home. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



19 



After two years they returned to 
Maine and settled in Orono, from 
whicli town he enlisted in the Civil 
war as surgeon of the 8th Maine regi- 
ment. 

From Orono they removed to Chel- 
sea, Mass. 

Both Dr. and Mr. Fisher died in 1870. 
His death occurred while seated in 
church at her old home in Exeter, N. 
H. where they were visiting at the 
time They are both buried in Chel- 
ser 

The children of Paul M. and Mary 
M. Fisher were: Paul M. Fisher. P>rd, 
born July 11. 1S26. died at Prescott, 
Ariz.; Francis A. born Nov. 9, 1827, 



died Nov. 17, 1861, at Corinna: Pres- 
ton, bDrn Nov. 17, 1829, died at 
Jamaica Plain, Mass.; Anson, born 
April 14, 18']1. died at Hermon Pond, 
Maine. July 29, 1892; Mary Artimissa, 
l)orn Dec. 23, 18.32, died at Pasadena, 
Calif.; Eunice Josephine, born April 6, 
1834, died at Merced, Calif.; Nancy J., 
born July 3, 1836, now living at 
Merced, Calif.; George Henry, born 
June 1. 18.38, now living at Santa 
Clara, Calif.; Susan N., born Oct. 19, 
1841, died Feb. 2. 1852. 

Preston was known as the "Young 
Doctor" to distinguish him from his 
father. 



20 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



CHAPTER V 



THE STEWARD FAMILY 



Elder David Steward and his good 
wife, Eliza, for many years played im- 
portant parts in the history of Corinna. 
He was a descendant of Duncan Stew- 
ard, who was in Ipswich, Mass., as 
early as 1658. He and his wife, Anne, 
removed to Newbury, Mass., where he 
engaged in shipbuilding. After IGSU 
they resided in Rowley, Mass. 

Their son, James, born in Newbury, 
Oct. 8, lt)U4. married twice, both of his 
wives being named Elizabeth. He re- 
sided in both Rowley, Mass., and Box- 
ford, and it was in the former town 
that his son, Solomon, was born July 
24, 1698. 

Solomon Steward and Martha, 
daughter of Edward and Martha 
(Brown) Farrington, published their 
marriage intentions in Andover. June 
10, 1727. They lived in Bradford, 
where he kept stoi-e until about 178;{. 
Later they lived in the middle precinct 
of Salem, now Peabody, and later still, 
in 1788, removed to Lunenburg. He 
died there in 1758. William, his son, 
was born in Salem in March, 1737. 

Moved to BlooMifleld. 

The Lunenburg records give the 
marriages of three Ireland women tu 
three Steward men, who later removed 
to Bloomfield, Me., now a part of 
Skowhegan, together with others of 
their family, and members of other 
families that came later to Corinna as 
pioneers. The marriages were as fol- 
lows: Phineas Steward, son of Solo- 
mon and brother of William Steward, 
married Anne Ireland, April 22, 1756. 
Their six children were: Samuel Bird 
born in Lunenburg, March IS, 1757: 
Anne, born in Lunenburg, Nov 23, 
1758; Phineas, born in Lunenburg Oct. 
27, 1760: Abraham, born in Lunen- 
burgh, Oct. 15, 1762; Thomas, born in 
Fitchburg, Feb. 17, 1766; and Martira, 
born in Fitchburg, June 28, 1772. They 
removed to Bloomfield about 1776. 

Daniel Steward married Mary Ire- 
land March 14, 1757. Their children 
were: Daniel, Benjamin, Mary, John, 
Amasa, Amherst, Sarah, Betty, Ste- 
phen, Thomas and James, born be- 
tween the years 1758 and 1785, all in 
Lunenburg. 

William Steward married Abigail 
Ireland July 25, 1758. Their children 
were: Abigail, born in Lunenburg; 
William, born in Fitchburg, Jan. 27, 
1765, and Susanna, Jonathan and 
James. 



Will Steward, who with his brothers. 
Solomon and I'hineus, came to Bloom- 
field about 1776, was known as Deacon 
William, and later moved to Canaan. 

Jonathan Steward married Hannah 
Jewett and settled in Bloomfield, where 
their two children, Esther and Hannah, 
were born. After Mrs. Steward's 
death, he married Mrs. Lucy Pattee by 
whom he had six children: David, 
James, Lucy, Naomi, Stephen and 
Ruth. 

Jonathan Steward was a Baptist 
minister and a farmer. He died in 
Bloomfield, July 31, 1848. 

Thomas Steward was published to 
Nancy, daughter of Daniel and Han- 
nah (Reed) Bicknell of Lunenburg, 
Jan. 3, 1803, and married the same 
month. She was born in Abington, 
Mass., May 22, 1784. They moved in 
1803 to Bloomfield and in 1804 to 
North Newport. Others who came to 
Maine at the same time were: Syl- 
vanus Whiting, Daniel Ireland, Elam 
F'ratt, Samuel Hayden, Thomas Bick- 
nell, — some of whom settled in Bloom- 
field, others in Canaan, Skowhegan 
and Norridgewock. They did not 
bring their families, but returned for 
them later. 

Thomas Steward moved his family 
in 180(i. He was by trade a cooper. 

Hannah Steward, daughter of Jona- 
than and Hannah Burrill, married 
Josiah Burrill of Bloomfield and set- 
lied in Corinna. Their ten children 
were: Olive, Hannah, Mary, Esther, 
iCosilla, Daniel, .Josiah Hook, Lucy, 
Moses Jewett .and Jonathan. 

Parents of Iievi M. and David Steward. 

David Steward and Miss Elizabeth 
Merreck of Warsaw (now Pittsfield) 
published their marriage intentions 
Nov. 16, 1822; and they were married 
Dec. 10, 1822, coming to Corinna to 
settle. He was a Baptist minister and 
a farmer as well, and both he and 
Mrs. Steward were school teachers. 

Elder Steward like all of the minis- 
ters of his day received his salary in 
produce or In labor of clearing his 
land, for money A\as scarce among the 
early settlers. 

Elder Nelson, a contemporary of 
Elder Steward, once received ten dol- 
lars and a pig as pay for preaching. 

He was a devout Christian, Puritani- 
cal in his views, yet kindly and be- 
loved by all. He was among the best 
educated men of the town and active 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



21 




THE LATE LEVI M. STEWART OF MINNEAPOUS 
Corinna's Wealthy Son Whose Benefactions in the Town are Many and 

Lasting. 



in all the affairs social, relig-ious and 
municipal. He was always interested 
in the schools and served many years 
on the school board; was one of the 
founders of Corinna Union academy 
of which he was a trustee and served 
his town as selectman for many years. 
As a preacher, he was pastor of the 
Corinna churches at various times for 
many years and well known throughout 
the neig-hboring towns. His sermons 
were strong and orthodox as well as 
scholarly and in prayer he was very 



earnest and insistant. It is related 
that when he made the prayer at the 
dedication of the Pleasant Street 
Christian church he prayed for every 
part of the building- not even forgetting 
the nails and the cuspidors. 

He delivered the first temperance 
lecture ever heard in Corinna and fol- 
lowed it up by years of earnest worli 
for the promotion of temperance in the 
community. 

He also delivered many strong lec- 
tures against slavery, being among 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



the lirst in the state to favor its abo- 
lition. He was a member of the Ma- 
sonic lodge as were nearly all of the 
most prominent men of his day. 

Aunt Eliza Steward. 

No less beloved was Aunt Eliza 
Steward, and the older of Corinna's 
citizens can recall the cordial welcome 
which she gave to all who entered her 
house. 

Their children were: Elizabeth, v/ho 
May 14, 1844, married John Winches- 
ter, a farmer, and a veteran of the 
Fourth Maine Battery during the Civil 
war; Levi Merrick, the late Minneai^- 
olis multi-millionaire; Charles Miller, 
and David Dinsmore Stewart, Esq., of 
St. Albans, who survives the others. 

Aunt Lizzie or "Gram" Winchester, as 
she was affectionately known by all, 
was one devoted tc her family, her 
friends, her churcli and the community 
in which she lived. Whatever coii- 
cerned them concerned her as well ana 
ahe Avas ever ready to help in whatever 
way she could. The beautiful park on 
the corner of Main and Pleasant 
streets and named Winchester park in 
her honor was the gift of Mrs. Win- 
chester and her son, J. Howard Win- 
chester, to the town. 

Her brother, Charles Miller Steward, 
was educated at Corinna Union acad- 
emy and at East Corinth academy, 
went to Australia at the time when 
so many promising young men started 
out to make their fortunes, in the new 
country, and like so many others, lost 
his life in tlie attempt. 

Changes in Spelling. 

Levi M. Stewart, like his brother, 
Hon. D. D. Stewart, spelled his name 
with a final "t" instead of ending it 
with "d" as did his father. Elder 
Steward. He was educated at Bates, 
graduated at Dartmouth and then 
from Harvard Law school. In 1S5S, 
through the influence of Dr. Jacob 
Eliot of Minnesota, a former Corinna 
resident, he went to Minneapolis, then 
only a very small settlement, and 
there established his law office and 
began the amassing of his immense 
fortune. He became the leading au- 
thority on real estate in the north- 
west. 

Mr. Stewart is of all Corinna's sons, 
her greatest benefactor, and her citi- 
zens must always feel a great debt of 
gratitude to the man who did so much 
for the town's prosperity. 

Really Noble Character. 

Probably two brothers were never 
more unlike than were Densmore and 
Levi Stewart and yet there existed be- 
tween them an unusually strong tie of 



brotherly affection. Densmore, the 
elder by six years, was a handsome 
child and possessed of the pleasing 
personality that immediately attract- 
ed people to him and rendered him a 
favorite; while Levi, naturally very 
plain, was aware of the physical con- 
trast in favor of his brother and en- 
hanced it by his manner of dress and 
eccentric behavior. 

These peculiarities followed him 
through life since he chose to mask a 
really noble soul under an exterior 
that was forbidding, and man, who 
'iooketh on the outward appearing," 
often found him stern, shrewd and 
eccentric, yet many had occasion to 
know him as a far different type of 
humanity. 

Many Charitable Deeds. 

Very many, indeed, are the cases 
where Mr. Stewart played the part of 
good Samaritan to those whom he 
found in need; but always with his 
charity he gave strict injunctions to 
secrecy. Should the recipient of his 
charity tell of his benefactions, the 
charities ceased and were never re- 
peated. Since his death, many of 
these good deeds have become known. 

Among them is an instance of one 
of his tenants, a poor woman and de- 
pendent upon her sewing to earn a 
livelihood. One day when the rent 
became due she had no money to pay 
the bill, so fearing that her wealthy 
and supposedly close-fisted old land- 
lord would cause her to be turned in- 
to the streets, she pawned her sewing- 
machine. The following day she went 
in search of work and returned dis- 
couraged to her room to find on her 
arrival that the sewing machine was 
in its accustomed place. On it was 
a note signed, "Levi M. Stewart," 
which told her that whatever hap- 
pened she must always pay her bills. 
In the note was ."^oO in money. 

Whenever people solicited a con- 
tribution to charity from "the Elder," 
as he was always known, because, 
from his birth, his good parents had 
intended him for the ministry, Mr. 
Stewart always replied that he would 
"ask his wife." The fact of his bach- 
elorhood was always a favorite joke 
with him, and in these instances, a 
useful one, as it gave him the oppor- 
tunity to investigate the merits of the 
proposed charity before he had given 
an answer to the request for aid. In 
replying, he always quoted "Mrs. 
Stewart's" ideas on the subject in 
hand. 

Mr. Stewart was fond of candy and 
kept it always on hand in his olRce 
and it was his delight to treat the 
children who happened in. He was 
very fond of children and once told the 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



23 



writer's father that he would give all 

that be had for a little girl of his own. 

Mr. Stewiirt was born on the old 

Stewart homestead in Corinna near 




REV. DAVID STEWARD, 

Father of Dnvid D. and the Late Levi M. 

Stewart, Who Was Oloselv Conuet'tetl 

With the Early History of the Town. 

North Newport and where his grand 
niece, Mrs. Royal Quimby and family, 
now live. 

He attended the public schools ana 
at the age of 15 became a schooUnas- 
ter. In these early days teaching 
was after physical exercise of the most 
strenuous type, and it was his delighi 
in later years to tell of his many ex- 
periences as a pedagogue. 

Fishing Paid College Education. 

A year later he took up the profes- 
sion of fislierman, since he found it 
more lucrati\e than teaching, and 
earned the sum of $7 per week. From 
those earnings he saved enough to put 
himself through Dartmouth college. 

He became proficient in boxing and 
wrestling, and this qualification quite 
as much as his marked scholarly at- 
tainments, gained him the position of 
master of Nichols academy in Sears- 
port. 

The Searsport school was considered 
the toughest in Maine, pupils being 
masters of deep sea fishing boats who 



during the winter passed the time by 
going to school. 

He graduated from Cambridge Law 
school and after securing his degree, 
began the quest of a suitable place to 
locate. 

His brother, Dinsmore, himself a 
lawyer, had greatly aided Levi in his 
college course and it was to this 
l,rother that the young man turned for 
advice and counsel. Though Mr. 
Stewart afterwards paid back every 
cent of the money borrowed, yet there 
i-emained a bond between the two 
l)rothers linking them much more 
closely than in the majority of cases. 

Dr. Jacob Eliot, a friend of the 
Stewart family in Corinna. had re- 
moved to Minnesota, and it was due to 
his suggestion that the young lawyer 
and his brother decided upon Minne- 
apolis as the place io start his prac- 
tice of law. Minneapolis was then 
scarcely a handful of houses, the 
settlement being across the river. 
Invested in Real Estate. 

He early invested in real estate and 
his Imsiness sagacity was sucn that 
he eventually increased his property 




ELIZA M. STEWARD, 

Wife of Itev. I)avi(i Stewart. 

until it totalled between 12 and 20 mil- 
lion at the time of his death. 

David D. Stewart also became a 
millionaire in the same way by the 



24 



A BRIEF HISTORY OP CORINNA 



investments made by him on the ad- 
vice of his brother Levi. 

Througnout his life, Mr. Stewart re- 
tained a strong affection for his native 
town and was always in touch with 
its interests. Both the Pleasant Street 
ijhristian church and the Center street 
Methodist Episcopal church have re- 
ceived material assistance from this 
source in remodelling- the buildings, 
buying the bells, etc., and when two 
years ago the Morse's Corner church 
was remodelled, Hon. D. D. Stewart 
contributed liberally to the fund. In 
all of these churches, their father, 
Elder David Steward, preached. 

A Memorial to Parents. 

In 1895, Levi M. Steward began 
plans for the erection of a suitable 
memorial to the memory of his father 
and mother in his native town, and 
the magnihcent $(!r),(JU<J Stewart Free 
Library building was the result. It is 
one of ;.!ie finest pub'.ic buildings in 
Ihe state and the pride of the town. 

The building is of brick, two stories 
high, and surmounted by a clock 
tower. The town clock dials were not 
at first illuminated but have been 
wired for electricity since. 

The lower door contains the library, 
private library, ctiiidren's library, read- 
ing room, sel.ectmen's room, janitor'. s 
ollice, coat rooms and lavatories. The 
entire upper story is devoted to the 
handsome town hall which boasts a 75- 
foot stage, with stage scenery worthy 
of any city and a dance floor of ex- 
ceptional excellence. The seating ca- 
pacity is 5U0 though at the time of the 
dedication about TOO were accommo- 
dated. 

That Mr. Stewart's heart was in the 
gift of this library is best illustrated 
i:ot by the money which it cost him, 
but better by the fact that he person- 
ally selected the 3,0<>0 volumes first 
bought and given to the library at the 
time of its erection, and the library 
now possesses the list in his own 
handwriting. 

In his will he bequeathed to Corinna 
§'50,0(X> as a permanent fund for the 
support of this building to keep it in 
a "state of excellence" and what is 



more surprising, he left also to this 
library his own private librai-y of 10,- 
OUU volumes, botn legal and literary, 
considered to be the best private libra- 
ry in the whole northwest. The legal 
library is now one of the finest in 
New England, while in number of vol- 
umes, the Stewart Free library is the 
l.'kh in the state. 

To D. D. Stewart, Esq., of St. Albans 
went the .bulk of the immense fortune 
to be disposed of as he saw fit. 

Mr. Stewart bequeathed the sum of 
$'-'r»,(JUU to each of the following Corin- 
na citizens, his relatives: Mrs. Eliza- 
beth M. Winchester, John Howard 
Wiiichestei', Sidney H. Winchester, 
Jf'anette Winchester, Densmore S. Hil- 
liker, Araminta Hilllker Soule, Dora 
'Ihurston Quimby. 

His Personality. 

Mr. Stewart always wore a silk hat 
and Prince Albert coat, with blue 
trousers. He never varied his dress, 
seemed never to grow old, and was 
wont to remark that he expected to 
live forever. He is Ijuried in Corinna. 

He ate very plain food and only two 
meals a day, worked about 20 otit of 
every 24 hours, enjoyed great physi- 
cal health until the very last of his 
life and was possessed of a keen mind, 
a subtle, humor, and a personality, in- 
deed remarkable. 

Like his l)rother, David D. Stewart 
is a man of keen mind, great intellec- 
tual ability and courtly manner. He 
is probably one of Maine's best legal 
authorities at the present time and 
still spends much of his time in his 
law office in St. Albans, from which 
he has made the many great bequests 
fi-om his brother's millions to colleges, 
schools and charitable institutions of 
this state and others. He gave to 
Corinna LInion academy the sum of 
.$S,000. 

To see the old gentleman bowing in 
courtly grace over the hand of some 
visitor is a picture never to be for- 
gotten. 

Like his brother, he holds a warm 
place in the hearts of Corinna citi- 
zens, and the name of Stewart is 
among the most honored in Corinna's 
history. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



25 



CHAPTER VI 



CORINNA IN PEACE AND WAR 



Stage Route. 

Before the establishment of the rail- 
road in ISOo-O a stage route followed 
the old County road from Newport to 
Dexter, touching Pleasant Vale corner. 
Another route from Skowhegan to 
Bangor passed through Hartland and 
Corinna, for many years, the driver 
was "Bill" Bradford. 

The stage was an object of bound- 
less admiiation to the children of those 
days and a former resident recalls an 
incident of her childhood when she 
was walking on the highway as the 
stage came by. As there were no 
passengers, the driver invited the little 
girl to ride. The child accepted with 
alacrity and sinking down upon the 
bright red plush cushions became too 
absorbed in the wonderful experience 
of riding on the stage to notice her 
home when they came to it, and did 
not realize her mistake until 
the driver asked htr destination 
several miles on the road toward Ban- 
gor. So delighted was the little miss 
with her ride, however, that she did 
not mind the long walk home. 

When Nathan Packard settled the 
O. L. Sprague farm at Corinna Center 
in is:!::, coming from Winthrop, Maine, 
he found no road on the west side of 
the Main street bridge, no bridge 
across Sebasticook stream and on the 
east side of the stream, only - logging 
road. 

Road Builders. 

Elder Steward built the road which 
is now called West Main street, lead- 
ing over the "Straight Hill." Nathan- 
iel Milliken and George Footman's 
father built the first bridge across the 
stream. 

Many citizens can remember when 
there was no road from W. L. Pitch- 
er's residence to the Newport line. 

In 1823, the town voted to pay the 
taxes in grain, owing to the scarcity 
of money, at the rate of one bushel of 
wheat, six shillings; one bushel of 
corn or one bushel of rye, four shill- 
ings. The tax rate was one and one- 
third per cent. Picture the tax col- 
lector hauling home a two-horse load 
of taxes. 

It was voted to post the warrant in 
three different parts of the town, at 
the schoolhouse, in the west part of 
the town, near Seth Knowles' and at 
Squire Bean's and that whoever would 



do it cheapest might post them. Jo- 
seph Pease paid tne town two cents 
for the privilege. 

As town meeting was held in pri- 
vate houses, it wa.s often necessary to 
adjourn out of doors because of the 
lacK of breathing space. 

The old town house at the center 
was not built until 1841'. 

The Tavern in the Town. 

The residence of Charles Frost at 
Pleasant Vale Corner, was once, in 
the days of the stage coach, a tavern 
and was called the Central House. 
Frank Fisher was the first proprietor 
and was also schoolmaster in the 
schoolhouse, which once sat opposite 
his residence. Mr. Fisher was a 
strong temperance advocate so the 
cupboard with a false bottom, made 
for concealing liquor, which once stood 
in the hall, was probably built after 
his occupancy. 

'I^ish Cooley was for many years a 
proprietor of this hostelry. 

In 1825 three licenses for selling 
liquor were issued. Liquor was then 
considered a necessary part of the 
food of the male members of a family, 
though strangely enough the women 
were able to worry along without it. 

Women Smoked. 

The women of our early days some- 
tim.es learned to smoke a pipe, as 
tobacco was known to have great ef- 
ficacy in warding off smallpox. 

The Woi'thens. 

One of Corinna's sons, Samuel C. 
Worthen, Esq., of New York city, 
traces his ancestry to seven out of a 
possible eight Revolutionary great 
grandfathers Some of .hese ancestors 
were closely associated with Corinna's 
early history Their names were 
Samuel Worthen, Samuel Meacham, 
Bradstreet Gilman, AVinthrop Oilman, 
Samuel Copp, John Blaisdell and 
Joseph Goodwin. The eighth ancestor 
was Eligood Mills, father of Luke 
Mills, already mentioned as one of 
Corinna's early settlers. It is supposed 
that he served as an officer on a pri- 
vateer, although official proof is lack- 
ing. 

The Worthens are descendants of 
Ezekiel Worthen of Amesbury, Mass , 
who was born in 1635 and died in ITIC. 

Deacon Moses Worthen was born in 
Weare, N. H., Feb. 12, 1773, and was 
the son of the Revolutionary soldier, 



26 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



Samuel Worthen. He with his sons. 
Joseph, Amos and Moses, and daugh- 
ter, Hannah, came to Coi'inna about 
1831 and settled in the Fisher district. 
Amos and Joseph married Izette and 
Eliza Oilman, daughters of John Tay- 
lor Oilman, another settler from New- 
Hampshire. Hannah married James 
Labree. 

John Taylor Oilman was a descend- 
ant of Oovernor Winthrop, Oovernor 
Thomas Dudley and Oovernor Simon 
Bradstreet of the Old Bay colony. 
Moses Worthen, Jr., settled in Corinna 
about 1846. 

The Worthens were Free Will Bap- 
tists 

Samuel Copp, once a prominent busi- 
nes man of Corinna, wa a descendant 
of the early settler of Be ton for whoii 
Copps Hill was named 

Corinna in War. 

Luke Mills was a lieutenant of mih 
tia during the war of 1812 and was 
called into service for a short time 
when Portland was threatened with 
an attack of the British. This was 
prior to his residence in Corinna. His 
father. Eligood Mills, was captain of a 
merchant ship in the Mediterranean 
trade before the Revolution and dur- 
ing the war served on a priva- 
teer, sailing vinder letters of marque 
from the Continental Congress. This 
vessel was captured on its second 
voyage by a British frigate and 
its officers and crew imprisoned 
at Halifax. N. S., until the end of tho 
war. They were then taken to Bos- 
ton on a British ship to be released, 
but were told that the colonies had 
been subdued, Washington and the 
members of the Continental Congress 
hanged, and that they themselves 
were to be transported to England and 
hanged for piracy. They believed the 
story, and Mills and two others 
escaped, by jumping overboard and 
swimming three miles to land. They 
found themselves near a fisherman a 
cabin at the mouth of the Piscataqua 
river in New Hampshire. There they 
first learned that the colonies had 
gained independence from England. 
The late Azro Mills recalled hearing 
his grandfather tell of this incident. 

During the Bloodless War of 18.39, 
otherwise known as the Aroostook 
War. James Labree marched with 4. 
company of militia from Corinna, the 
company being hastily called out in 
the night. How far I hey marched or 
who composed the company is un- 
known, but Capt. Labree's grand- 
daughter, now living in St. Albans, re- 
calls hearing him tell of the expedi- 
tion. 



Corinna seems always to have 
played a prominent part in war times 
for in the Civil war she sent many of 
her sons to defend the Union and was 
the fifth town in the c»Dunty in respect 
to the amount raised to meet the ex- 
penses of the war. 

However, perhaps we should make 
an exception to the first part of the 
preceding statement, for in 1812 
Corinna was being settled and had no 
organized form of government, and 
many of the more timid settlers of the 
surrounding towns sought refuge 
from the British within Corinna's bor- 
ders, thus evading too the necessity 
of doing military service. Of those 
temporary residents, Corinna has no 
cause to feel proud. 

Eagle block, long a conspicuous 
public building, was built in 1877 and 
burned in the big fire of July 4, 1904. 

Messrs. J. & C. A. Dorinan built 
the first woolen mill. Charles Oreen- 
wood followed him. Later his son, 
Charles A. Oreenwood, operated the 
mills, which were sold to Burrill and 
Clark, who enlarged and improved 
them and changed the name to Ken- 
wood. 

Judge Whiting published Corinna's 
fiist newspaper. The Weekly Herald, 
later known as the Corinna Herald. 

About l.'i or 20 rods back of the 
po.stoince building on the Sebasticook 
.stream, at one time. Capt. Ben Bur- 
rill had a factory for extracting 
potash. This later became a car- 
riage shop. 

Stephen S. Burrill made bricks near 
the H. A. Bigelow residence at South- 
ard's mills, and Oeorge W. Welch also 
had a brick yard on the Exeter road 
back of F. H. Welch's house which 
was liuilt from bricks made in that 
yard. 

A Revolxitionary Soldier. 

In what is known as the Bassett 
Neighborhood opposite to the school- 
house, is a grave where lie the remains 
of another of Corinna's early citizens. 
William Rodgers was a Revolutionary 
soldier and came to Corinna from the 
town of Athens. He was an active 
man and fond of children. One of the 
older residents recalls how, when he 
was very old and walked with a cane 
he came one day to call at a neighbor's 
home. As there were several small 
children in the family, they had over- 
turned a chair in the doorway to keep 
them from going out of doors. Mr. 
Rodgers, thinking to amuse the chil- 
dren, attempted to jump over the chair, 
only to fall sprawling in the middle of 
the floor The unexpected result of 



I 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 27 

his fete amused the okl gentleman and veteran of Bunker Hill, and 

quite as much as it did the children "Uncle Henry" was douV>tless the last 

and he laughed heartily at his clumsi- surviving son of the Revolution in 

ness. New England. 

Charles Henry Moore of Corinna Corinna had many citizens enlisted 

Center, who died less than a year ago, in the Civil War. and was also repre- 

was the son of a. Re\i3lutionary soldier sented in the Spanish American War. 



28 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



CHAPTER Vn 



CHURCHES 



Early Clmrches. 

The first church services were Free 
Baptist in denomination and were held 
in Samuel Lancy's barn by Rev. John 
Palmer, later in the schoolhouse until 
1S51 when Uncle Ben Moore gave the 
lot for what is now the M. E. church 
but was then Union. There were 52 
pews in the church and each pew 
owner had a vote as to the number of 
Sundays on which services of the va- 
rious denominations should be held. 

Church Building. 

Thomas Gardner was one of the men 
■who pledged $50 toward building the 
Center Street church at Corinna 
village. At the time that he pledged 
the money he hadn't a dollar in his 
pocket and money in those days was 
very scarce for people bartered their 
produce and their labor. He went 
immediately to his woodlot and began 
peeling bark. When a suthcient 
quantity was ready he hauled it to De- 
troit and sold it. taking his pay half 
in money and half in "store goods" 
which in his case was oats. He load- 
ed the oats and went on to Ban.jor 
where he sold them for enough to 
make the balance of the required sum. 
When later Corinna Union Academy 
was built, he pledged the same amount 
and paid it in the same way. 

No doubt, others made as great .sac- 
rifices of time and labor as did Mr. 
Gardner. 

The Morse's Corner church was built 
at about the same time and the bell 
was brought by team from Bangor. 
Charles Dearborn of North Newport 
drove the team. Rev. Ja.son Mariner, 
a Free Baptist, preached there and or- 
ganized the church and in 1822 Rev. 
Isaac Case organized *he Baptist 
church with 10 members, Cushman 
Bassett, lay preacher, accupying the 
pulpit. Later Moses Martin from 
China preached. 

Rev. B. P. Winchester preached 
there the longest of any minister, his 
pastorate covering more than 35 years. 
Rev. David Steward was also closely 
associated with the church's early 
life. Rev. Jason Mariner organized 
the Morse's corner church. Rev. Wm. 
E. Noyes was also a pastor. Mr. and 
Mrs. Alvin Young were prominent 
members. 



The Christian church was organized 
by Rev. J. S. Johnson of New Hamp- 
shire and Rev. Zebulon Manter of 
Newport. The church edifice was 
built in ISSM and dedicated in Novem- 
ber. The backs of the pews were 




Pleasant Street Christian Church 

all taken from one big elm tree that 
grew on the Lyman Ireland farm 
where Rollie Ireland now lives. Very 
few of the backs are pieced. The 
pulpit is of red cherry, and from a 
cherry tree that grew on the old 
Deacon John Ireland farm in North 
Newport, known now as the Frank 
Ireland place. There is a story told 
that the minister once related this 
fact to Frank Ireland and asked if it 
were true and Mr. Ireland remarked 
with a twinkle in his eye that he 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



29 



•lidn't know how true it was but "I 
do know that I had some cherry lum- 
ber and it disappeared." 

In one of these churches in the old- 
en days, Uncle Jim Young, following 
the custom of the times, gave an ex- 
hortation after the morning sermon 
as follows: "I'ln sansible for one 
I hat the soul of man is of more valor 
than the body." 



preachers and was a power for good in 
the community and a prominent man 
in town affairs as well. He served as 
selectman and member of the school 
board for many years. 

In the latter capacity, he often visit- 
ed the schools and. always responded 
when called upon by the teacher for 
remarks, as was the custom of the 
day. His remarks always showed the 




CENTER STREET METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 



Temperaiicc. 

Rev. David Steward organized the 
first Temperance society in 1827. 

In 1827 Mr. Steward, then a lay 
member, delivered the first ser- 
mon on temperance ever given in Co- 
rinna and one of the first in the state. 
At that time there were three parties 
in town holding licenses. 

The late L,evi M. Stewart once said 
in speaking of his father, that he re- 
called when he was a small boy that 
a fcivorite brother minister came to 
sta.y over Sunday at their home, and 
he was sent by his good father to Mr, 
Morse's store v/ith a jug to get some 
new rimi, a favorite drink of their 
guest. In later years when Elder 
Stewart became a strong temperance 
advocate, he used to pray from the 
pulpit and a.sk God to remove the local 
rninsellers from the earth "which," as 
his son said, "the Lord in His own 
good time did do." 

3Iinisters of the Gospel. 

Elder Stewart was probably the 
most eloquent of C!orinna's early 



Christian character of the speaker and 
abounded with good advice, dealing 
freely with the subject of temperance. 
He was a young looking man for his 
age and often told his young friends 
that is was his abstemiousness that 
kept him so "fresh and green." 

In the debating societies, he was al- 
ways an active member, and used his 
influence there as in everything else 
for the encouragement of the young 
people. 

The Steward home was a favorite 
resort of the children. Mrs. Steward 
was a school teacher in her youth and 
welcomed the young people to parties 
and bees quite as cordially as did her 
husband. 

Rev. Benjamin P. Winchester was 
another of the prominent divines of 
Corinna and held his pastorate for a 
period of over 85 years. With Elder 
Stewart, he was closely associated in 
all movements for temperance of which 
he was a strong advocate. He came 
from the town of Fayette 99 years ago 
and settled on the farm where C. L. 
Buck now lives, commonly known as 
the Columbus Knowles place, at Corin- 



30 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



na Center. His father was drowned 
when he was but two years of age and 
he was brought up in the family of a 
Mr. Palmer in Fa.vette. Elder Win- 
chester was for many years town 
clerk of Corinna and prominent in 
town affairs. He was not without a 
sense of humor and could appreciate 
a joke even when it was upon him- 
self as evinced Ijy the following story 
which he was fond of relating: Elder 
Hatch of the North Newport church 
invited Elder Winchester to exchange 
pulpits one Sunday. The invitation 
was accepted and on Sunday morning, 
the Elder drove to North Newport, and 
called at a neighboring stable to put 
up his horse. The lady of the house 



did not know the stranger but. being 
of a sociable disposition, chatted with 
him about the services. Finding that 
he was going to the meeting, she in- 
formed him that they were to have a 
new preacher that Sunday. Elder 
Winchester from Corinna Center, and 
asked, "Have you ever heard him?" 
Mr. Winchester replied that he had, 
nnd she ventured the further informa- 
tion that people said "he wasn't much 
o'.' a preacher," and asked his opinion. 
The Elder replied that he thought the 
opinion was correct and went off to 
church. A few minutes later he con- 
fronted the astonished sister in the 
pulpit. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



31 



CHAPTER VJII 

THE LINCOLNS 



Squii-e Lincoln. 

One of the leading citizens of West 
Corinna in tlie early days was Squire 
or Lapt. Jsaiah Lincoln, ancestor of 
Stephen and Harry M. Lincoln of 
Lincoln's Mills. He was a descend- 
ant of Stephen Lincoln of Windham, 
Sussex county, England, who, with his 
wife, mother and son. Stephen, came 
to America in 1638 on the ship. Dili- 
gent, (Capt. John Martin of Ipswich, 
England,) and settled in New Hingham 
later called Hingham, Mass. Capt. Lin- 
coln was the son of Matthew Lincoln 
of Sidney, Maine, a soldier of the 
Revolutionary war and was born in 
Sidney in 17'J2. He married in Gar- 
land, Esther, daughter of Richard and 
Mercy Gerrish of Bucksport, in which 
town she was born. Isaiah and Esther 
Lincoln came to Corinna from the 
town of Dexter in 1823 and settled in 
a log cabin with an earth floor just 
back of the residence now owned and 
occupied by H. M. Lincoln. About 
two years later, he erected this frame 
dr/elling. 

Capt. LincoLi's Papers. 

As soon as the cabin was made hab- 
itable the captain erected a mill on 
the stream nearby. So dense was the 
growth of forest that it was nearly 
a year before Mrs. Lincohi was able to 
see the mill from her cabin. Capt. 
Lincoln was an officer in the militia 
which was then called "the trained 
band." 

When the Lincolns came to Corinna 
to live, John Smith already occupied 
a house now occupied by Charles Dun- 
ham, that farm being a part of what 
is now known as the town farm. 

Among the papers of the Lincoln 
family in the possession of Harry M. 
Lincoln are several which may be of 
interest. One bears at the top the 
words, "Massachusetts Militia" and 
reads as follows: "To Mr. Isaiah Lin- 
coln. You being duly enrolled as a 
soldier in the compfiny under my com- 
mand, are hereby ordered to appear at 
the place of parade at my dwelling 
house in Sidney on Saturday, the 
sixteenth day of May instant at TJ 
o'clock at noon, armed and equipped 
as the law directs, for military duty 
and for the purpose of detaching six 
men. Given at the town of Sidnev 
this twelfth day of May, 1812, Steph- 



en Lovejoy, captain or commanding 
otlicer." 

A similar one headed "Maine 
Militia" orders him to appear at 
"Philip Morse's dv>-elling house in 
Corinna on Tuesday, the twenty-third 
day of September" and is dated Sept. 
lU, isi:3, and signed by Cyrus Bates. 
There is also the appointment as ser- 
geant of the "Company of Infantry in 
the P'ourth Regiment, Firsc Brigade, 
Eighth Di\ision of the Militia of 
Maine" issued to Isaiah Lincoln, given 
at Palmyra, Maine, Sept. 12, 1S2G, 
signed by William Lancey, Colonel, 
and nan.ing James Labree as captain. 
Un the back of the appointment in 
James Labree's writing is Isaiah Lin- 
coln's appointment as clerk of the 
company. 

Three Labree Brothers. 

Capt. James Labree with his broth- 
ai-s, Thomas and William were among 
the 2o petitioners for incorporation of 
the town. 

The town records give the marriage 
intentions of Richard Labree and Em- 
ma Fish of Ripley, Aug. 10, 1832. Also 
Richard Labree, Jr., and Miss Ruth B 
Potter, April 20, 1829. Also Nov. 21, 
1823, Alexander Labree of Corinna 
and Miss Phebe Kinnein of Athens. 

These records doubtless are of the 
descendants of the petitioners since in 
May, 1815, the three petitioners must 
have been heads of families residing 
within the plantation, and were doubt- 
less sons of one of tlie three Labree 
brothers who came from France to 
fight for the freedom to the American 
colonies and later settled two of them 
in Maine and one in New Brunswick. 
James Labree, now living in Newport 
formerly of Corinna, is a descendant 
of these Labrees. 

The Labrees settled in West Corinna 
near the town line and were married 
into the Lincoln family. The wonder- 
ful physical strength of Capt. Lincoln 
is shown by the following incident: 

During the early years of Squire 
Lincoln's residence at the mills, he 
went as was his custom to Bangor on 
horseback after corn, a distance of 
about 38 miles. L'pon arriving at 
Bangor, he found there was no corn to 
be bought, so he continued his journey 
to Bucksport where he purchased as 
much as his horse could carry, and re- 



32 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



turned home on foot and leading the 
horse over the rough trail following a 
spotted line. 

Night Fire and New Mill. 

One night the mill caught fire and 
was given up for lost when Bijah Ma - 
son, a neighbor, arrived and with the 




CAPT. ISAIAH LINCOLN, 

Fomuler of Liiuohi's Mills, Coriiina. 

cry, "Boys, water will put out fire," set 
to work with such energy that he in- 
spired the others with new courage 
and the mill was saved. 

Soon afterwards a new saw and 
grist mill was erected, and to this 
mill came farmers from Saint Albans 
and the whole of North Corinna. 
These mills burned some time later. 
The next morning the captain put a 
crew of men into the woods for lumber 
to rebuild. Owing to the enlarging of 
the grist mill at Moore's mill, now Co- 
rinna village, this new grist mill was 
never used. Mr. Lincoln established 
a store in which he was succeeded by 
a Mr. Colbath of Exeter, who in turn 
was followed by Matthew Lincoln. 
Later M. P. Hamilton kept store there 
and sold out to Richard Lincoln. 

Squire Lincoln sent shingles to the 
Bangor markets as soon as the roads 



made the undertaking practicable. It 
required two days to make the trip. 

Hemlock boards were then worth 
three dollars per thousand. 

The First Masonic Meeting. 

Squire Lincoln's house had a large 
open room over the shed which was 
used for meetings of the Masons of 
which society a large majority of our 
early settlers were devoted members. 
The temperance society also held 
meetings there, school was kept in 
the same room, and a held adjoining 
the residence was used as a parade 
ground for the militia. 

The Lincolns were devout Metho- 
dists, and rode on horseback every 
Sunday to attend church services until 
roads made the use of a wagon possi- 
ble. 

Among the Masons who attended 
meetings at Squire Lincoln's were 
Elder David Steward, and Oliver 
Brooks whose farm was at Brooks 
grove. Probably Dr. Paul M. Fisher 
was also among the nuinber as Parian 
lodge was first named Fisher lodge in 
his honor because of his interest in 
establishing it. Miss Viaette Southard 
who was afterwards Mrs. George Lin- 
coln and now resides in Minnesota, 
was among the first teachers who 
taught in this room. Later a red 
sehoolhouse was built near the bridge. 

First Stage Line. 

Tiie well-to-do farmers along the 
line formed a stock company to oper- 
ate a stage from Cambridge to Ban- 
gor via St. Albans, Lincoln's Mills and 
Scvutli Exeter. Service on the line 
was discontinued after the establisii- 
ment of the stage from Dexter to 
Stetson via Corinna. John B. Pres- 
cott of Exeter built a small mill about 
a half mile above Lincoln mill on the 
same stream. He also built a log 
house for his employes. Tins was soon 
abandoned, and the house was known 
as "'the old mansion." 

Stephen Lincoln recalls an incident 
wlien his father, the captain, was 
diawn on the jury at Bangor and he 
carried his father to Corinna to take 
tlie stage. At Corinna they found 
Hon. D. D. Stewart of Saint Albans, 
then a young lawyer, and bound for 
Bangor where he had a case in court. 
When the coach arrived, it was found 
to be crowded and there was room for 
neit'r.er of the gentlemen. The cap- 
tain returned home, changed horses 
and returning to the village, took Law- 
yer Stewart and accompanied by his 
son, Joseph Lincoln, set off for Ban- 
gor. 

About 1860, Richard Lincoln, a son 
of Capt. Lincoln, built a shingle mill 
near the old mill, and this was in op- 
eration for many years. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



33 



Tlie Liincolns. 

Captain Lincoln was postmaster for 
years, tlie mail being carried there 
from Corinna Center three times a 
week. When later the railroad from 
Newport to Dexter was proposed, he 
gave the right of way through his land 
for the distance of a mile and a half 
on each side of the track. The farm 
has always remained in the Lincoln 
family, the original deed given by 
Scjuire Warren of Boston to Isaiah 
Lincoln, being now in the possession 
of H. M. Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln also 
has the Bible brought to America by 
the first Stephen Lincoln. It was 



printed in London in 1599 by Christo- 
pher Barker, printer to His Majesty, 
King James. Mr. Lincoln was a civil 
engineer and "ran out" the boundaries 
of many Corinna farms. Mr. Lincoln 
also has his great grandfather's com- 
pass. 

The children of Isaiah and Esther 
Lincoln were: Francis, Richard, Sally, 
Matthew, Isaiah, William, Lionel, Jo- 
seph, George and Stephen. Of these, 
two are living, William Lincoln of 
Hartland. Maine and Stephen Lin- 
coln who resides with his piece, Mrs. 
Clara Lincoln Campbell at Lincoln 
Mills. 



34 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



CHAPTER IX 



THE SCHOOLS 



One of the first schools, if not the 
very first school, was held at the old 
John Knowles place, later known aa 
the Pearl Hall farm, near Corinna 
Center, and paths led from that cabin 
to the homes of the other settlers. 

Another of the early schools was 
at the cabin of Jim Young. The 
house in question was of logs and di- 
vided into two rooms, the front room 
being used for the school while Mr. 
and Mrs. Young and all of their nu- 
merous family who were not in school 
occupied the back room or kitchen. 
A large fireplace was built across one 
end of the schoolroom, the chimney 
of which was made with "cat sticks." 
These were pieces of wood similar to 
laths, and were held together with 
clay and straw, being used as a sub- 
stitute for bricks. Bricks were then 
unavailable. Wooden cranes hung in 
the fireplace. It was not uncommon 
for these and the "cat-sticks" to catch 
fire, so that a pail filled with water 
was kept at the side of the fireplace 
ready for use. 

One day when school was in session 
in the Young homestead. Susan 
Young, who was not at school, 
amused herself by peeking through a 
crack in the door between the two 
rooms to watch the pupils in the front 
room. Jacob Eliot, one of the pupils, 
seized the pail of water, which was 
kept as a fire extinguisher, and threw 
it against the door completely drench- 
ing the girl. She screamed, and he 
professed great surprise, claiming he 
had intended the water for a spark 
from the fire. Uncle Jim Young, the 
girl's father, was greatly incensed at 
the prank and said he "would pay 
his eq'al proportionable to have Jake 
Eliot sent somewhere else to school." 
Susan Young was the mother of Ches- 
ter A. Curtis, and a sister to JoeJ 
Young. "Jake" Eliot was afterwarda 
a prominent citizen. 

It must have been a sacrifice to the 
Young family to give up their living 
room for the purpose of having a 
school for the children of the neigh- 
borhood, taut such sacrifices were 
common. 

At one time Elder David Steward 
held a term of school in his new 
tie-up before it was used for the cattle. 

'Squire Lancey's barn was probably 
the first schoolhouse and church in 
Corinna. Elder Steward, Rev. Wil- 



liam H. Ireland of North Newport and 
several others of the ministers were 
among the first school masters. 
Early SchooUiouses. 

The first schoolhouse in Corinna 
village was on Main street hill, about 
where the residence of Lemont E. 
Bemis stands. 

The red schoolhouse which once was 
just east of the railroad crossing at 
the junction of Main and Center 
streets, is now the blacksmith shop 
owned by H. H, Fisher and occupied 
by Ivan R. Small. 

Among the early residents, besides 
those already mentioned, at whose 
homes the children gathered to attend 
school were Seth Knowles and Benja- 
min P. Winchester. The first school- 
house built in Corinna was near the 
residence of Mr. Knowles. It contained 
a large fireplace and the boys cut the 
green logs which were burned in it. 

Webster's Spelling book and Pike's 
or Daboll's Arithmetic, were the most 
common text books used. 

Christopher Page was one of the 
early teachers. In later years, Robert 
Knowles and Levi Lucas of St. Albans 
were among the most noted teachers. 
Mr. Knowles enjoyed a wide reputation 
in this section as a mathematician. He 
was the first station agent after the 
Maine Central railroad built the 

branch through to Dexter. 

In 1833, the number of scholars was 
575, and the available school funds 
were 84% cents per scholar. 

It is interesting to note some of the 
expenditures of the school board for 
that year: District No. 1, "Paid Au- 
gutus Smith, $26 for teaching, number 
of scholars, 56." District No. 2, "Paid 
Eliza Rich, $10 for teaching. Paid for 
boad of mistress, $9.60. Paid John 
D. Smith, $14," and, again, "Paid $8.75. 
Paid Harrison G. O. Weston, $20.23 
for teaching, number of schclars, 68. 
District No. 7, (Corinna Village), paid 
Rebecca Hinds, $12 for teaching. Paid 
James Hawes for board of mistress, 
$12.96, number of scholars, 85." An- 
other item was the amount of $1.50 
paid to Rev. David Steward for carry- 
ing school mistress home. 

The old brick schoolhouse at Morse's 
Corner is one of the landmarks of the 
town and has sent out its full quota of 
men and women who have stood for 
what is best in public and private life. 
It was built by the first generation of 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



35 




MORSE'S CORNER OLD SCHOOLHOUSE 



Corinna's settlers and has been in 
almost constant use since until within 
a very few years when the small num- 
ber of pupils in the district rendered it 
advisable to discontinue the school 
there. 

Coriiina Union Academy. 

In a catalogue of Corinna Union 
academy published by the trustees in 
the year 1871-72, is the following his- 
tory signed by D. Stewart: 

"In the spring of 1851 Dr. Jacob S. 
Elliott, Dr. P. M. Fisher, Isaiah H. 
Lincoln, Esq., James Hawes, Esq., and 
Horace Wentworth, headed a sub- 
scription for the twofold purpose of 
building a house, and for securing a 
permanent fund for the future use of 
the school. The house was built and 
ready for a school in September of 
that year. 

"In the winter of 1852 the trustees 
obtained a charter of incorporation 
from the legislature, and the institu- 
tion became the child of the state, but 
was left by its Alma Mater to strug- 
gle on as best it could till 1861, when 
one-fourth of a township of timber- 
land was donated by the state. For 
this liberality from the state we are 
chiefly indebted to the indefatigable 
efforts of Dr. Benson of Newport, 
then a senator from Penobscot county 
in the legislature of that winter. Our 
schools, with few exceptions, have 
been a success. From the halls of 



our institution have gone forth a 
goodly number of Maine's best school 
teachers, besides the many gone to 
other states, to do us credit. So say 
the numerous reports that reach us 
from abroad. We have had a large 
share of good teachers in our school, 
but the year just closed, under Prof. 
D. H. Sherman, in point of numbers 
and efficiency of teaching, has ex- 
celled any school we ever had be- 
fore." 

An Academy Established. 

As Corinna grew in size and impor- 
tatice as a settlement, the interest in 
its school system increased until some 
of the more thoughtful of its citizens 
felt the necessity of a higher school 
training for their children and deter- 
mined upon the estabUshment of an 
academy. Accordingly they pledged 
themselves to pay a sum of money 
towards the erection of a building and 
maintainance of teaching, and Corinna 
Union Academy was founded. That 
was in the early part of 1851. The 
first recorded meeting was April 29, 
1851. 

The following committee was chosen 
to erect a building: Jacob S. Eliot, 
James Hawes, Jotham S. Pratt. 

The first board of trustees chosen 
was: J. S. Eliot, P. M Fisher, Jr., 
.lames Hawes, P. M. Fisher, Horace 
Wentworth, Jotham S. Pratt, Isaiah 
Lincoln, David Jones, Campbell Bach- 
elder. Mr. Eliot was chosen president 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



and P. M. Fisher, Jr., secretary of the 
board. 

Two funds were started, teaching' 
and building-, and the subscriptions 
totaled $2,0.39, not including five casks 
of lime, donated by one townsman. 

Paul Fisher Jr., served as secretary 
of the trustees until he left town, 
June 12, 1852, at which time his 
father, Dr. P. M. Fisher, became 
secretary and served until April 25, 
1S57, Later he was secretary from 
June 8 till July 6, 1861. 



L. F. Ireland, F. E. Day, O. L. Jones, 
Dr. F. L. Redman, G. H. Young, C. 
T. Moses, J. H. Winchester, Dr. A. K. 
P. Smith, H. D. Ridlon, B. A. Smith. 

Teachei's and Salaries. 

Mr. and Mrs. Elliot Walker were the 
first teachers of the school. They 
were followed not long after by Hon. 
Llewellyn Powers, who later became 
governor of Maine. Unfortunately 
the records do not give a complete 




CORINNA UNION ACADEMY 



Tnistees. 

The trustees elected to fill vacancies 
were as follows: Campbell Bachelder, 
Isaiah Lincoln, Sumner BurriU, Nathan 
J. Robinson, J. H. Sawyer, John G. 
Emery, David Steward, Benjamin C. 
Moor, T. R. Gardner, Luther Young, 
Nathaniel MuUikin, Volney A. Sprague, 
James M. Footman, John M. Rack- 
liffe, Dr. John Benson (Newport), 
Mark F. Hamilton, Joel Young Dr. 
John Billings, William W. Nutter, 
Elam P. Burrill, Anson Fisher, Eld. I. 
Damon, Sumner B. Titcomb, J. T. 
House, Dr. A. H. Richardson, Liba 
Jones, J. P. Nelson, A. R. Ireland, 
James H. Burgess, A. J. Richardson, 
J. P. Tash, Joseph Smith, P. J. Curtis, 
Henry Young, Joel C. Pease, Edwin 
Folsom, F. E. Sprague, A. M. Burton, 
M. P. Hamilton, J. H. Shepherd, W. I. 
Wood, C. A. Gray, A. R. Day, Hon. D. 
F. Davis, Bangor, honorary member, 
Hon. C. C. Burrill, Ellsworth, honorary 
member, A. R. Day, Bangor, honorary 
member. Will I. Burrill, J. C. Smith, 



list of the teachers. Prominent among 
them were Prof. Sawyer and Prof 
Sherman. 

On May 14, 1S53, rt was voted to 
have a fall and a spring term provided 
tliey could secure a teacher "for tui- 
tions only." The committee appointed 
to hire the teacher was James Hawes, 
Jacob S. Eliot and Paul M. Fisher. At 
a meeting dated "Jan. 2, 1854, at one 
of the clock P. M.," the above vote 
was reconsidered and it was voted to 
procure a teacher for the spring term 
provided not more than $40 be used 
from the school fund. 

April 29, 1854, it was voted to pay 
Mr. Chickering $.33.50 for teaching the 
spring term. At the same meeting it 
was voted to pay out of the school 
fund interest not more than $50 per 
year for teaching. 

April 28, 1855, it was voted to pay 
J H. Sawyer for a bell rope, $3.25, and 
for teaching, $50 up to Sept. 1, 1855. 

Aug. 18, 1855, it was voted that J. 
H. Sawyer teach the fall and the 
spring term on condition that if he 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



37 



taught only the fall term he should 
have what he made from tuition, but 
if he taught both terms, he should re- 
ceive an additional $25 at the close 
of the spring term. 

In September, 1S55, Jacob S. Eliot 
resigned as treasurer of the board and 
; Benjamin C. Moor was elected to suc- 
ceed him. 

May o, 1S5(J, it was voted that the 
terms should be 12 weeks each. This 
term length was extended two weeks 
each at the trustee meeting of the 
"l^'irst Saiurday of August, 1850." The 
tuition was "li8 cents, \M) cents and ;>o 
cents per week, according to the 
studies pursued." 

At this meeting it was voted "That 
David Stewart and Paul M. Fisher be 
a committee to make arrangements for 
lectures at the Academy on Wednes- 
day evening of each week during the 
term and also to invite gentlemen and 
ladies to attend the examination of the 
school near the close of each term and 
make such remarks as the individuals 
invited may deem proper." 

The secretary was authorized to ad- 
vertise the school in "The Gem" (Gem 
Gazette), and The Jeffersonian (The 
Commercial). 

April 25, 1857, it was voted to ray 
David Stewart's expenses to Augusta 
to intercede for a donation for the 
school, a sum of $6.25. 

Dec. 15, 1857, Volney A. Sprague 
was chosen secretary in place of Dr. 
Fisher, who was then out of the state. 

Academy Grants. 

The legislature of 1801 donated lo 
the four academies at Corinna, Mon- 
mouth, Limington and Monson one 
township of land, Dr. John Benson 
was appointed a committee to confer 
with representatives of other three 
academies. 

Isaiah Dincoln, Campbell Bachelder 
and Volney Sprague were authorized 
to sell the one-fourth township given 
to Corinna Union academy. 

March 30, 1864, it was wated by the 
trustees to give J. H. Sawyer $30 to 
pay rent for a house provided he move 
to Corinna. April 12, 1866, Dr. John 
Benson mo\ed the following resolu- 
tion: "That the confidence of this 
board in the faithfulness and untiring 
devotion of J. H. Sawyer as principal 
of this -academy, remains unabated, 
and we hereby tender to him our 
thanks for the special interest he has 
manifested during the present term 
for the welfare of his pupils as well 
as the care of buildings." Rev. David 
Steward then moved, "That we donate 
$20 to Mr. Sawyer out of the money 
In the treasury, not otherwise appro- 
priated, as a further compensation foi- 
his services last year. 

Benj. C. Moore becaine secretary of 
the board March 24, 1869. 



Uncle Ben Moor was closely allied to 
the interests of Corinna Academy dur- 
ing its early days and was also asso- 
ciated with the home lives of many of 
its pupils. It was then customary for 
the village people to board the students 
and Uncle Ben's rooms were always 
taken. He lived where Warren Knowief. 
now lives. There were study hours 
then as now and the young men weie 
strictiy forbidden calling on the young 
ladies during those hours. Several of 
tlie young ladies rented a large room at 
Mr. Moor's house, and because the old 
gentleman was inclined to be slow of 
hearing as well as slow of motion, the 
young people often held secret gather- 
ings at his home after study hours 
and liave been known to escape 
through the window when discovery 
seemed imminent. Mr. Moor was a 
favurite with the young people. 

Oct. 20, 1868, the board voted to 
pay T. W. Parker $13 for the fall 
term. The following spring term they 
paid Mr. Warrin ."j;30, and for the board 
of the teacher during tlie fall of 1870, 
J(!o3.75. 

Prof. D. H. Sherman stands out as 
one of the most prominent of the acad- 
emy's faculty and as one of the most 
eccentric also. He was a man of su- 
perior education and intelligence, an 
author of text books, quite an author- 
ity in astronomy which was a favorite 
study, a natur.al born teacher. He 
built up the school until he filled the 
building with students. He was very 
thorough in his teaching methods and 
pupils were inspired by his enthusiasm. 
On meeting a stranger with whom he 
desired to converse, he would walk up 
to the stranger and exchlaim, "My 
name's Sherman; what's your name?" 

lie was far from a success as a fi- 
nancier, and we find one vote of the 
trustees as follows: "Voted to loan 
Prof. D. H. Sherman $200, taking se- 
curity on the telescope." The telescope 
was purchased by the professor and 
kept on hand for use of the pupils. It 
was his custom to take the pupils 
star gazing, and he gathered his band 
together by blowing a horn. Those of 
the villagers who had retii'ed for the 
night did not appreciate his signal sys- 
tem. 

April 2(3, 1871, it was voted to thank 
Mr. Sherman for his faithful service 
It was further voted to hire him fo.' 
the spring and fall terms at a salary 
not to exceed .$20 per month. 

During his declining years. Prof. 
Sherman was without money, and two 
of the alumni of C. U. A., ex-Gov. 
Davis and ex-Gov. Powers, material- 
ly assisted their old friend. 

In March, 1871, C. E. Young was 
paid $20 for teaching and for tlie fall 
term including interest, $25.62. There 
were also two payments to Prof. 
Sherman of $20 each. 



38 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



Sept. 15, 1871, Prof. Shemian was 
paid $25, another payment was for 
$12.50 and for the spring- term, $24. 
April IS, 1872, he received $16. April 
23, 1873, E. D. Pratt received $25. 
April 3, 1874, Benj. W. Hawes re- 
ceived $25. April 22, 1876, H. Marble 
received $6. Oct 1, D. H. Sherman re- 
ceived $25 for a half term. Dec. 6. he 
received another $25. Nov. 2, 1876, I. 
R. Worth received for the fall term, 
$50. July 6, 1877, he received $40 for 
the spring term. Oct. 26, 1877, H. E. 
Trefethin received $40 for the fall 
term. Oct. 24, 1879, Mr. Piper re- 
ceived $25. 

A committee of three. J. P. Nelson, 
A. H. Richardson and Joel Young, 
were appointed to confer with Mr. 
Piper in regard to a college prepara- 
tory course. A course was drawn up 
and adopted May 16, 1879, at which 
meeting it was voted to hire Mr. Piper 
at the rate of $100 for three terms 
provided Mr. Piper should furnish the 
wood for the school and keep the glass 
in repair. Mr. Piper accepted. The 
course as laid out follows: 

College Preparatory Course: Can- 
didates for admission to this course 
are examined in reading, spelling, 
English grammar, arithmetic and 
geography. 

First year — First term: Latin, Latin 
grammar, arithmetic, English gram- 
mar. Second term: Latin grammar, 
Latin lessons, algebra. U. S. history. 
Third term: Cicero, Greek grammar 
and first lessons in Greek. 

Second year — First: Caesar, Greek 
grammar; first lesstDns in Greek, and 
Punctuation. Second: Caesar, Greek 
grammar; first lessons in Greek and 
physiology. Third: Cicero, Greek 
grammar; first lessons in Greek. 

Fourth year — First: Aenead of 
Virgil, Anabasis. Latin and Greek 
Literature Second: Sallust. Homer"s 
Iliad and Latin Prose Composition. 
Third: Homer. Higher Algebra, 
Reading from Bacon and Review. 

Classical Course: Candidates for ad- 
mission to this course are examined in 
reading, spelling, geography. Green- 
leaf's Practical Arithmetic, English 
Grammar, History of United States 
and Greenleaf's Elementary Algebra, 
as far as radicals. 

First year — First term: Latin 
Grammar, Latin lessons, Algebra and 
English Grammar. Second: Latin 
Grammar. Latin lessons. Geometry 
and Bookkeeping. Third: Latin 
Grammar, Latin lessons and Ancient 
Geography. 

Third year — 1st: Cicero. German, 
Natural Philosophy, first half ot 
Chemistry, last half of English Latin. 
Second: Cicero. German and Chem- 
istry. Third: Aenead of Virgil, Ger- 
man, Botany and Moral Science. 



Fourth year: — First — Aenead of Vir- 
gil, Mental Philosophy, Botany (first 
half), Ast onomy (last half) and Zool- 
ogy. 

Second — Aenead of Virgil, Mental 
Philosophy, Astronomy and Geology. 

Third — Sallust Evidences of Chris- 
tianity, reading from Shakespeare, 
Milton and review. 

Students completing this course with 
the exception of the Latm language, 
will receive a scientific diploma. 

W. B. Piper, principal, Miss V. L. 
Johnson, preceptress. 

Calendar: Fall term beginning Mon- 
day, Aug. IS, 1879; spring term, be- 
ginning Monday, Feb. 9, 1880; sum- 
mer school term begins Monday, April 
26, 1880; examination of classes, 
Wednesday, June 30, 1880. Term, 10 
weeks each. 

Board of trustees: Rev. David Stew- 
art, president; Joel Young, Rev. J. P. 
Nelson, E. P. Burrill, A. H. Richard- 
son, M. D., Libby Jones, B. C. Moor, A. 
R. Ireland, Anson Fisher, B. C. Moore, 
secretary; E. P. Burrill, treasurer. 

Examination committee, Rev. J. P. 
Nelson, A. H. Richardson, M. D., Joel 
Young, A. R. Ireland, janitor. 

On April 25, 1881, it was voted tha.t 
Mr. Piper secure a seal for the Acade- 
my. May 25, 1885, J. C. Pease re- 
ceived $50.91 for teaching the spring 
term. For the fall term he received 
$52. W. B. Piper taught the follow- 
ing summer term for $33.33, and the 
succeeding fall for $48.28. 

April 25, 1883 and April 21, 1884, it 
was voted that the school grounds 
should not be used for playing ball or 
any other game between the close of 
the spring term and the opening of 
the fall term. 

A. M. Burton received $60.25 for 
teaching the spring term and $50 for 
the fall. Dec. 5, 1885, J. C Pease re- 
ceived $52 for the fall term. 

April 25, 1887, F. E. Sprague was 
empowered to draft a code of by-laws 
to govern the school. At the same 
meeting, B. C. Moor resigned his posi- 
tion as secretary, and was tendered a 
vote of thanks for faithful services. 
F. E. Sprague took his place. April 
29, 1889, it was voted to let the build- 
ing for one year as a free high school 
under certain conditions of repairs. 
This went into effect May 15, 1889. 

M. P. Hamilton was chosen secre- 
tary of the board April 26, 1890 and 
is still serving in that capacity. 

E. P. Neal received $200 for teach- 
ing, Nov. 28, 1893. 

C. F. Fairbrother was paid $183.33. 
The same amount was paid L. R. Fol- 
som, Nov. 9, 1894. 

Elliot Walker, the first principal, 
lived in Newport, and afterwards be- 
came judge of probate of Penobscot 
county. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OP CORINNA 



39 



Among the alumni of the school are 
two governors of Maine, a member of 
the Supreme court, ministers, lawyers, 
doctors, teachers in colleges and higJi 
schools, graduates of many colleges, 
and men and women eminent in every 
profession. 

Feb. 5, 1913, the trustees received 
from the estate of the late Levi M. 
Stewart of Minneapolis, the sum of 
$8, ()()(>, a fund to the memory of th*; 
late Uavid Stewart, to be known as the 
David Stewart fund. 

Since 1S99, the annual commence- 
ment exerci.^es have come to mean a 
great deal to the citizens of the town, 
and the Alumni Association banquets, 
which are a feature of the weeks of 



commencement, have brought back 
many of those tO whom the old acad- 
emy on the hill is dear. 

Mrs. Sarah Andrews Durfee of Provi- 
dence, R. I., is a member of the first 
entering class at C. U. A. 

The Stewart Free library has meant 
much to the prosperity of the school 
and has been of inestimable value to 
the town as well. 

The academy stands now as it did 
when the articles of incorporaton were 
passed as an institution "for the pro- 
motion of literature, science and 
morality," and Corinna has a right to 
feel proud of the work which it has ac- 
complished. 



40 



A BRIEF HISTORY OP CORINNA 



CHAPTER X 



PROGRESS 




PLEASANT STREET, ABOUT 1877 



A fair idea of the progress of Corlnna 
since the days of its settlement may be 
drawn from considering the changes in 
tlie postothce department. We have 
very few facts as to the earliest days, 
but it is pi-obable that there were no 
letters sent or received during those 
years when relatives and friends were 
separated from the little world of our 
settlers by miles and miles of nearly 
unbroken fore»t, and with nearest 
neighbors farther away than our near- 
est towns are now. However, as the 
giist mill and later the first rude 
carding mill and the first stores came 
into existence, the owners of these es- 
tablishments must have made trips at 
long intervals to Bangor to replenish 
their stock of goods. As these trips 
were real events in pioneer In es, no 
doubt all the settlers were aware when 
one of their nuinber was to venture 
forth into the world outside and each 
family availed itself of the opportunity 
of writing letters to be sent by the 
traveller and mailed at Bangor. He 
doubtless brought mail in return. 

Postofflce. 

Later the stage route followed what 
is now the ohl West County road from 
Newport by the way of Pleasant Vale 
Corner and so on to isexter. Corinna 



village received its mail by way of a 
r.icssenger at Pleasant Vale Corner who 
wailed there for the stage. 

This stage line brought into ex- 
istence at Pleasant Vale a tavern and 
postotflce Corinna postofflces had the 
old-fashioned system of placing letters 
in a wheel which could be con- 
veniently revolved by the patrons 
of the offlce, and what a com- 
fort the arrival of the mail must 
have been to those curious mem- 
bers of the little settlement for then 
they could revolve the wheel until ev- 
ery letter had been thoroughly in- 
spected. Perhaps it was] fortunate 
that postals and postcards had not then 
come into existence. 

The early postmasters upon the 
arrival of the mail used to read aloud 
the names of the addresses of each 
letter much as Santa Claus reads off 
the names of the presents at a Christ- 
mas tree. 

rii'.st Postmaster. 

The first postmaster was James 
Hawes, Esq., who lived where T. P. 
Burrill now resides and was appoint- 
ed to the office June 7, 1S2G. 

He was followed June 2, 1S45. by 
Robt. Moor, < ur first store keeper at 
the village, and like Mr. Hawes, a 
man of influence in the community. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



41 




PLEASANT STREET, 1916 



Dec. 22, 1S4S. Mr. Hawes was 
again appointed po.stmaster, and 
served until Jotham S. Pratt received 
the appointment June 8, 1849. Mr. 
Pratt erected and was f.rst proprietor 
of the old Corinna House which was 
burned only a few years ago. He 
also ran the carding mill. When he 
was 14 years old, Joseph Smith, J. C. 
Smith's father, worked for Jotham S. 
Pratt in the carding mill for the sum 
of six dollars per months. The work- 
ing day of that period of Corinna's 
history began early and e'nded late. 

Volney A. Sprague, Esq., was ap- 
pointed Jan. 20, 185?.. He practiced 
law here for many years and was 
prominent in the affairs of the town. 
From Corinna he went to Dexter 
where he died. While in this town 
he resided in the Dr. Smith residence 
on the corner of Main and School 
streets which is the oldest house in 
the village. It was,, formerly part of 
the horse sheds near the old grist 
mill. The ell was built by Mr. 
Sprague. 

E. D. Roberts, whose appointment 
was Sept. G, 1856, had the postofflce in 
a part of his store which was on the 
site of the present postofflce building. 
He lived where Dr. Redman now lives 
but in the house known as the Millet 
house which was afterwards moved 
down on School street. Mr. Roberts-' 
later in life became totally blind. 

He was succeeded Aug. 31, 18(51, by 
Volney A. Sprague. 

Seth Morse was appointed his suc- 
cessor June 29. 18G9. Mr. Morse was 
a trader and his store was at one 
time situated where J. A. Shaw's store 
now is. At the time of his appoint- 



ment he lived where Elmer Hopkins 
lives now, and the postofflce was in a 
building on the site of the Grange hall. 
Later he kept store in the building 
where John Triekey was located at 
the time of the last big fire. Mr. 
Morse died while in business there. 

E. P. Burrill was appointed post- 
master Oct. 17, 1877. Mr. Burrill 
was always associated with the busi- 
ness interests of the town and an 
active member of the church being a 
deacon for many years. He was 
known ti3 everybody as "Uncle Elam" 
as his wife was called "Aunt Sarah," 
terms used to express estec^m ^md af- 
fection. He was long a part owner 
of the grist mill here. He resided first 
in the "Beehive," a building which was 
erected on the site of the Stewart Free 
Library building by Robert Moore and 
used first as a tavern, but later be- 
came a tenement or apartment house. 
He erected the house now occupied by 
Mrs. G. L. Fassett on Pleasant street, 
and resided there at the time of his 
death. 

He was succeeded Sept. 24, 1885, by 
M. P. Hamilton, the present posit- 
master, and had the postofflce in a 
small building on the north side of 
Main street. He served until the ap- 
pointment of Will I. Burrill, June 5, 
iSS9. 

Will I. Burrill is now a resident of 
Oregon. He is the son of the late 
Stephen S. Burrill, and nephew of the 
above mentioned Elam P. Burrill. The 
postotflce under Mr. Burrill, was lo- 
cated in the east end of F. B. Shaw's 
store, which was formerly called, "the 
Dasher block," because of the false 
front, shaped like a dasher, which gave 



42 



A BRIEF HISTORY OP CORINNA 




MAIN STREET, ABOUT 1877 



the appearance of a two-story build- 
ing to one that was in reality only 
one-story high. 

He was succeeded by A. L. Grant, 
May 31, 1S93. Mr. Grant was a Civil 
war vetran and for many years pro- 
prietor of the old Corinna House. 

Will I. Burrill was again appointed 
June 7, 1897, and moved the postoffice 
to its present location. He was suc- 
ceeded by William I. Wood, Esq., 
whose term of office began Sept. 14, 
1907, and ended by the appointment of 
Mark P. Hamilton, Jan. 5, 1910. 

Up ti3 the time of incorporation, the 
roads were merely logging roads. The 
first tree cut on town roads was a 
birch that grew in the eastern part of 
the town under the hill where David 
Palmer lives. 

The largest pine tree ever cut in this 
county was cut back of the residence 
of the late Susan Lincoln Seavey. 

The beautiful elm trees on Pleasant 
street were set out by Daniel Smith, 
grandfather of J. C. Smith, and the 
late Elam P. Burrill. Joel Young 
planted the magnificent elms in front 
•Df his old home and also the small 
grove of oil nut and oak trees in front 
of the barn. They were planted froin 
the acorns and seeds. Stephen Bur- 
rill planted many of the maples on 
Pleasant street 

Two Interesting Ancedotes. 

A peculiar incident of the early days 
of Corinna, which is on record in the 
files of Penobscot county, is that of a 



son of Squire Hawes, one of the early 
postmasters. The son ran away from 
home to go to sea and all trace of the 
boy was lost. A few years passed and 
the family mourned the boy as dead. 
One day a young man walked into the 
Hawes kitchen, and seeing Mrs. 
Hawes about her work, said: "Hello, 
Ma." 

Mrs. Hawes looked the stranger over 
and said: "I don't know you." The 
young man said: "Why, yes you do, 
I'm your son," calling himself by 
name. Still the mother persisted in 
her statements that she didn't know 
him, till finally he said he would prove 
it by going to his bedroom. This he 
proceeded to do. Presently the sisters 
of young Hawes came in, and he called 
each one by name and asked them if 
they did not know their brother. 
Neither of them did. Mr. Hawes, Sr., 
was equally hard to convince, but 
finally the stranger related so many 
instances known only to members of 
their own family, that they were 
forced to believe the stranger to be 
the lost sailor son and brother. 

One fact, however, was difficult of 
explanation, — whereas Hawes' eyes 
were blue, the stranger had brown 
ones. He explained it . satisfactorily 
by asserting that in the tropics the 
sun's action had changed their color. 

So he was received into the bosom 
of the family, and the fatted calf killed 
in his honor. 

For a year or more he continued to 
stay there, living a lazy existence. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OP CORINNA 



43 




CORINNA REALTY BUILDING 



One day Thomas Gardner, who had 
moved to Corinna from Troy, met him 
in the village and called him by a 
name other than Hawes. He recog- 
nized him for a young man born and 
brought up in Troy. 

At first he denied his identity, but 
his denials did not affect the credulity 
of Mr. Gardner, nor of another former 
Troy resident, who was equally sure 
that he recognized the young man call- 
ing himself Hawes. 

Investigation proved that he had 
gained full information of the Hawes 
family and their lost son from a former 
employe of theirs. 

The matter was taken to court, but 
the young man skipped out and was 
never heard of again in this vicinity. 

Cases of this kind are unique ana 
a reference to this one was made some 
few years ago, when the papers were 
full of a similar case, where two men 
claimed to be the heir to a property 
•bequeathed to a lost child. 

At the time of the big fire, which 
burned the "Bee Hive" on the site of 
Stewart Library building, Corinna's fire 
department, which then consisted of a 
collection of tin pails, was in use at 
the fire. Sparks flew for long dis- 
tances over the village and caught the 
shingles on fire. Finally, a flying brand 
lodged upon the roof of T. F. Burrill's 
residence and threatened to destroy the 
buildings. Mr. Burrill's buildings be- 



ing at some distance from the fire, had 
not been considered in any danger, and 
all of his pails had been added to the 
fire company's supply. 

Howf-\er, when the fire caught, it 
became necessary to act, and Mr. 
Burrill ran to the stream, sat down in 
the water and then climbed to the roof 
and sat down on the fire. His meth- 
od proved effectual and the fire was 
extinguished. 

Some wag, appreciating the humor of 
the situation, wrote up an account of 
it and referred to Mr. Burrill's "inven- 
tion of a fire extingui.sher" which had 
been tried out and found effectual. A 
few days later a man from New York 
called on Mr. Burrill for the purpose 
of buying it. 

Since that day, Corinna's fire fight- 
ing system has been established and 
today the village is very well pro- 
tected. 

Many changes liave come to Corinna 
since 'Squire Lancey bushed out the 
first road and settled at Corinna Cen- 
ter and most of them have been for 
the better, yet we may well draw les- 
sons from the lives and experiences of 
those pioneers who made the present 
town possible; and it behooves us to 
pray as did Daniel Eliot of the old 
days, "Oh, Lord, keep my oody from 
the doctor, my pocketbook from the 
lawyer and my soul from the devil. 
Amen." 



44 A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 

CHAPTER XI 



MARRIAGE INTENTIONS, MARRIAGES and BIRTHS 

DECEMBER 13, 18J7 to JANUARY 22, J833 



The following pages give records of marriage intentions published, 
marriages and births as recorded on the town books. They are not com- 
plete, but are more nearly so than the records of many towns: 



12-13-1817— Alfonso Eliot and Miss Mary Davis of Madison. 

8- 8-1818 — Stephen Austin and Miss Betsy Crawford. 

1-23-1819 — Benj. Pre.ssey and Miss Hannah Burton. 

2-16-1819 — Brownin Fish of Ripley and Miss Sally Warner . 

2-20-1819 — James Lawrence of Newport and Miss Betsy Couillard. 

rt-19-1819 — John Smith and Mrs. Lucy Eliot. 

r)-19-1819 — Isaac Mower and Miss Sally Adams of Greene. 
12- 4-1819 — David Knowles, Jr., and Miss Polly Turington of Livermore. 

1- 1-1820 — Caleb C. Knowles and Miss Rachel Shaw of Fayette. 

0-24 1820 — Comfort Spooner and Mariam Jewell. 
11-18-1820 — Jonathan Knowles and Fanny Baldwin of Fayette. 

3- 4-1821— Thomas Brown and Clarissa Weston of Bloomfield. 

3-10-1821 — William McKenney and Mi.ss Anna Adams. 

3-24-1821 — Joshua Elder and Miss Phebe Day. 

11- 9-1821 — Jonas Warner and Miss Anna Fish of Ripley. 
11-10-1821 — Thomas Quimby of Exeter and Mariah Mathews. 

12- 8-1821 — Nath'l Knowles and Polly Chamberlain of Exeter. 
12-15-1821 — Jo&eph Blanchard and Miss Hannah Rowell of Monmouth. 

1- 6-1822 — Jabes Bates and Miss Olive P. (?) Sturgis of Ripley. 
2-23-1822 — John Southard i3f Exeter and Miss Thankful B. Ordway. 
7- 7-1822 — Heman Russell and Miss Mary Fogg of Garland. 
7-20-1822 — Jesse Smith and Miss Betsy knowles. 

10-15-1822 — Sfeth Knowles and Mrs. Phebe Barker of Exeter. 
11-16-1822 — David Steward and Miss Eili'^.abetli Mei reck i3f Warsaw. 
12-21-1822 — Joseph Turner and Miss Nancy Shaw of Sidney. 

2- 8-1823 — Moses W. Lane and Miss Malinda Knowles. 

2- 8-1823 — Rufus Eliot and Miss Ludia Hayden of Madison. 

3- 4-1823 — Cnswell Burgess and Miss Sarah Crowell. 

6-30-1823 — Andrew Crawford of Saint Albans and Mrs. Sarah Davis. 
11-21-1823 — Alexander Labree and Miss Phebe Kinnein of Athens. 

1-19-1824— Ichabod Cole and Miss Sarah Cowan. 

1-26-1824 — Silas Knowles and Miss Lovina Knox. 

2-10-1824 — Stephen K. Couillard and Miss Hephzibah Baker. 

3-21-1824 — Daniel Bachelder and Mrs. Deborah Young. 

3-31-1824 — Joseph Davis and Miss Rebecca R. Davis. 

6- 5-1824 — Ichabod R. Knowles and Miss Mary Bassett. 

6-12-1824 — John Smith of Dexter and Mrs. Rebecca Kmowles. 

9-22-1824 — Richard L. Austin and Dorothy Hamm. 

9-26-1824 — Ebenezer Nutter and Miss Eliza Weston of Bloomfield. 
10- 7-1824 — John Whitney and Miss Mary Allen of Readfield. 
11-13-1824 — Artemus Emery and Miss Naomi Weston of Norridgewock. 
12-31-1824 — John Palmer and Miss Mary Packard of Newport. 

1-27-1825 — Theophilus Brown. Jr., of Exeter and Nancy Knowles. 

9- 4-1825 — Paul M. Fisher and Mary M. Fifield. 

3- 6-1826 — Wm. Burton and Sally Leavitt of Ripley. 

6-20-1826— Benj. G. Fish of Ripley and Mary Labree. 

9- S-1826 — Joseph Burton and Sophia Russ-ell of Dexter. 

9- 9-1826 — Abel Lawrence of Newport and Nancy Young. 
11-25-1826 — Stephen Rodgers, Jr., of Riplev and Jane K. Couillard 

1- 6-1827 — Oliver Clark and Darkis Titcomb. 

2-24-1827 — Benj. Libbey and Susanna Knowles. 

3-18-1827 — William Moor, Jr., and Abigail H. Hilton. 

5-23-1827 — Joseph Young and Deborah Lawrence of Newport. 

8-24-1827— Philip Morse and Mehitablo Walton. 

9-25-1827 — William Burgess and Perlena Weston of Bloomfield 
10-29-1827- Thomas Labree and Hannah Potter. 
11-10-1827 — John Knowles, 2nd, and Arene Barker of Exeter. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 45 

11-24-1827 — Thomas Davis and Miss Eliza Williams of Atkinson. 
12-20-1827 — Wm. Robinajn and Mrs. Polly Palmer. 

4- r)-182S — Judah Perr.v of Exeter and Rhoda Packard. 
6-27-1S2S — William Thomson and Miss Lucinda Chiles of Hartland. 

11-22-1828 — Jos. Weymouth and Betsey Pettingill of Sangerville. 
11-22-1828 — Abraham B. Ordway and Miss Bebeah S. Bachelder of Garland. 

2- 2-1829 — John H. Knox and Miss Mehiiat^le <,'lian)pion. 

2-26-1821) — Isaac Veazie and Miss Lydia Knowles 

3-lo-182r> — Lowell Knowles and Sarah Folsom of Newport. 

3-28-1829 — Charles B. Bates and Miss Eunice W. Ramsdell of Greene. 

4-20-1829 — Richard Labree, Jr., and Miss Ruth B. Potter. 

5- 2-1829 — John Hubbard. Esq., and Miss Christiana Keene of Dexter. 

5- 6-1829 — Leander S. Libbey and Miss Hannah W. Crowell. 
5-20-1829 — Nath'l Rodgers of Ripley and Louise Labree. 
9-26-1829 — Charles W. Davis and Mary Knowles. 

10-27-1829 — Joseph Burton and Shuer Smith. 
11-29-1829 — Jacob B. Whiting and Susan Couillard. 
ll-.")0-lS29 — Jas. M. Hilton and Lucy M. Greeley laf Exeter. 

1- 4-18;;0 — Abiah B. Steward of Newport and Olive R. Burrill. 

l-27-lS.'?0 — Flint B. Moody and Miss Eunice Patten of Fairfield. 

4-17-18.S0 — Rufus Thompson and Temperance Labree. 

4-26-1830 — Elias Titcomb and Sally Dow of Exeter. 

6-28-1830 — Samson Coombs of Islesborough and Werlina Veazie. 

7-ir»-1830 — David Oilman of Newport and Miss Deborah Stetson. 
10-16-1830 — Joel P. Jameson and Elizabeth B. Judkins. 
10-30-18,30 — John Knowles. Jr., and Polly Palmer. 
11-18-1830 — Asa Champlin of Exeter and Miss Nancy Knox. 
12-26-18,30 — Wm. Bates of St. Albans and Mallnda Smith. 

3-13-1831 — Levi Leathers of St. Albans and Joannah Elder. 

.3-1.3-18,31 — Jesse Carson and Susan Leighton. 

3-13-1831 — Edward Dearborn and Miss Loiza Couillard. 

3-13-1831 — Ebenezer Carson and Lydia Elkins of Exeter. 

3-27-1831 — Silas Burton and Abra B. Copeland of Dexter, 

6- 2-1831 — Elnathan Sawtelle and Philinda Smith. 
6 10-1831 — Andrew Cole and Mary Johnson. 

7- 6-1831 — Sam'l B. Page of Fayette & Lucy Maxfleld. 
7-17-1831 — Sam'l S. Fifield and Miss Naomi S. Pease of Exeter. 
,S-10-1831 — John D. Smith and Miss Eliza Bates laf St. Albans. 
8-27-1831 — Wm. Morse and Betsey S. Kent of Rcadfield. 

10-23-1831 — Daniel Libbey and Florena S. Blaisdell of Palmyra. 

10-27-1831 — Oliver Brooks and Betsey Burrill. 

10-,30-lS31 — Chas. L. Dow of Howland and F'idilia G. Labree. 

1- 1-18,32 — Joseph Willey of Argyle Plantation and Charity D. Smith, 

1- 1-18,32 — Edmund Rowell and Polly Parsons of Monmouth, 

1- 1-18,32 — Ephraim Bn^wn and Mary Pooler of Milbuine. 

.3- 5-18.32 — Jonathan Smith and Rosette Batchelor. 

3-14-18,32 — Nathan Dearborn and Betsev Steward of Palmyra. 

4- 1-1832 — Washington Young and Cordilla Knowles. 

6- 3-18,32 — John Young and Margaret Couillard, 

6- 8-1832 — Jacob S. Eliot and Sally Mcor. 

S-10-18,32 — Richard Labree and Emma Fish of Ripley. 

9- 8-18,32 — Jacob F, Bean and Sophia White. 

9-10-1832 — George Morse and Elethear Weston of Norridgewock. 

9-22-1832 — Mr. A. (?) Smith of Peru and Margaret McGee. 

10- 7-18,32 — Theophilus B. Hilton and Lovinia E. Ordway. 

11-10-18,32 — Jonathan C. Thompson of Dexter and Miss Diantha CnDwell, 

11-12-1832 — Jos. M. Hilton and Miss Lydia S, Johnson. 

12-16-18,32 — Charles Dearborn and Miss Anna C. Pease of Exeter, 

1-22-18,3,3 — Joseph B. Elder and Miss Hannah Leighton of Dexter, 

1-22-18,33 — Thomas Burton and Miss Sally Knox, 
-1 22-1833— Hiram Leighton of Exeter and Miss Anna Leighton. 

liist of Marriages. 

8-,30-lS18 — Stephen Austin and Betsey Crawford (Jacob Hale, J, of P,) 
4-1,^-1819 — Nathaniel Atkins and Olive Couillard. 
9- 2-1820 — Comfort Spooner and Mariam Jewell. 

11- 1-1821 — Thomas Quimby and Mariah Mathews. 
3-24-1822 — John Southard of Exeter and Thankful B. Ordway. 
8-15-1822 — Jesse Smith and Miss Betsey Knowles. 
9-15-1822 — Benj. Bodge and Mrs. Nancy Bachelder. 



46 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



3-27-1823 — Crowell Burgess and Mrs. Sarah Crowell 
4- 7-1823 — Moses Lane and Melinda Knowles. 
2- 9-1824 — Silas Knowles and Lovina Knox 

2-24-1S24 — Stephen H. Couillard and Miss Hephzibah Baker. 
4-11-1824 — Daniel Bachelder and Mrs. Deborah Young. 
4-28-1824 — Joseph Davis and Miss Rebecca R. Davis. 
2-10-1824 — Ichabod Cole and Sarah Cowin. 
7- 1-1824 — Ichabod R. Knowles and Mary Bassett. 
11-13-1824 — Richard L. Austin and Miss Dorothy Hamm. 
7-11-1824 — John Smith of Dexter and Mrs. Rebecca KwDwles. 
9-19-1825 — Doct. Paul M. Fisher and Miss Mary Fifield (Abra Bean, J. of 

P.) 
4- 1-1827 — Benj. Libbey and Susanna Knowles. 



L/ist of Births: 



PACKARD, Vareii and Mary. 

1-18-1805— Rhoda. 

6-13-1807— Mary. 

8-17-1810— Stephen. 

4-13-1813— Nancy. 

2-22-1S14 — Sallv. 

6- 1-1817— Daniel. 

7-27-1825— Hannah. 

1-19-1828— Olive. 

BURRII/Ij, Josiali and Hannah. 

2- 7-1811— Olive. 
12- 9-1812— Hannah. 

5-28-1815 — Mary. 

1-23-1818— Esther. 
10-17-1821— Daniel F. 

SMITH, liiba and Sally. 

8- 3-1816 — Theodore. 

4- 1-1818— Ruthana (?) 
YOUNG, James and Hannah. 

12-10-1801— David. 

2-24-1804— Nancy. 

3.16-1806- Joseph. 

9-19-1808— Sally. 

2-13-1811— John. 

3-19-1813— Susan. 

9-12-181.5— James. 

2-22-1818— Luther. 

7-19-1820— Joel. 

7-17-1822— Asa. 
SOUTHARD, Constant and Sally. 

2- 7-1808— Wm. 

5-25-1811— Gorham. 

6-21-1813- Harriet. 
11-21-1815— Abigail. 
11-27-1817— George. 
12- 6-1819— Joslin. 
11-21-1822 — Moses. 

5- 4-1824 — Samuel ODUstantine. 
2- 4-1826— Paul M. 

8- 6-1828 — Christina. 

1-11-1831— Mary Ann. 

JUDKINS, Elisha and Eunice. 
10-12-1812— Elizabeth B. 

7-10-1814 — Luydia C. 

2-23-1816— John S 
10- 6-1818— Julyann C. 

ELKINS, Samuel and Eunice. 
10-16-1821— Euphemia C. 

5-27-1823- Josiah C. 

5-27-1825— Josiah C. 

7-13-1829— Helemier. 

7-27-1830— Almond. 



HILTON, Ben.], and Ruth. 

1806— Abigail. 

1809 — James Madison. 

1811 — Theophilius. 

1814— Phebe. 

1817 — Benj. Jr. 

YOUNG, Simon and Lois. 

1816 — Lewis. 

1817 — Harrison. 

1819 — Henry Warren. 

1820— Loisa. 

1822 — Daniel Knowles. 
-1824 — Amanda. 

1825— Lois. 
-1828— Mary S. 

18.30— Simon. 

1833— Sarah. 

18.34 — James. 



11-11 

1-31 

9-22 

7-25 
10-26 

2-11 
10-.30 

3-25 
11- 2 

4-13 

7-28 
12-16 

7-26 

1-22 

3- 3 

9- 

MATHEV\ S, Wm. and Meriam. 

9-13-1801— Meriah. 
6-20-1807— Ruth. 
11-15-1809— Esther. 
8-29-1814— Abigail. 

ELIOT, John and Lucy. 

9-16-1817— John, 2nd. 

HAYNES, Joshua and Rebecca. 

12-12-1812— Joshua. 
8-28-1814— David. 
9-25-1816— Hiram. 

DAVIS, Allen S. and Hannah. 

4-14-1824— Charlotte E. H. 
9-18-1825- William A. 
11-29-1828- Sarah S. 

HAYDEN, Enoch and Releaf. 

S-.30-180S— Freeman. 
10-29-1810— Harriet. 

7-29-1812— A rcena. 

1-29-1815 — Ammaziah. 

7-27-1817— Susan. 

ELIOT, Daniel and Edith. 

9-25-1816 — James Hayden. 

6-16-1818— Lydia Hayden. 
10-11-1819— Maryann. 

2-10-1821— Dolly. 

9-22-1822 — Elizann. 

4-22-1824 — Harriot. 

SANBOURNE, Petei- and Sabrina. 

11- 1-1816— Sabrina. 

5- 4-1819 — Enoch Russell. 
10- 1-1834— Martha Bradford, 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



47 



SAWTELLE, Samuel and Hannah. 

2- 6-1813 — Salmon Gi'over. 
7-31-1812 — Bepheighble (?) Perry. 

KNOWLiES, David, 2nd and Lydia. 
1- 7-1815 — Joseph. 
0-16-1816— James. 

KNOWLES, Caleb C. and Rachel, 
1-1.5-1821— Horasha. 

10- 3-1822— Martha E. 
KNOWLES, John and Susaimah. 

11-18-171)8— Samuel Canada. 
10-20-1806— Susannah. 

9-20-1808— John. 

.5- 8-1811— Lydia. 
10-17-1812— Wm. 

11- 7-1814— Louisa. 
10-22-1817— Robert. 

1- 5-1820- Charles. 
12-23-1824— James. 

COOK, Samuel and Ludia. 
9-21-1814— Ruth. 
1-27-1817- Mary. 

COOK, Abraham and Hannah. 
4-23-1801— Amassa. 

WARNER, Wm. and Sally. 
8-29-1808- Benj. 
3-15-1811— Rebecca. 
11 -.30-181.5— John. 

SPOONER, Comfort and Abigail. 
4-18-1809— Bickford. 

8- 6-1811— Sally. 

9- 3-181.3— Hiram. 
10-23-181.5— Meriam. 
12-21-1818- Abigail. 

BEAN, Abraham and Susan. 
9- 1-1S14— Susan Taylor. 

Eleanor Prebble. 
7-15-1817 — Eleanor Emuline. 
Betsy Avaline. 
Huldahann. 
10-23-1823— Abraham Augustus. 
SMITH, James and Nancy. 
10-16-1804— Charity Davenport. 
5- 9-1807 — John Davenport. 
1). 8-1809— Charles Curtis. 
8-18-1812— Melinda. 

SMITH, James and Melinda. 

5- 5-1816— Rufus. 
6-28-1818— Nancy. 
10-28-1823— Joseph M. 

BACHELDER Ephi-iam and Nancy. 

2-18-1813— Rosta. 
11-17-1814— Sally. 

2- 9-1817— James. 

ELDER, Wm. and Sally. 

4-10-1806— Joseph. 
4-23-1809— Joanna. 
5-14-1818— Eliza. 
1-31-1823— Wm. Jr. 

SMITH, Charles and Margaret. 

2-22-1818— Mary. 
8-28-1819— Nancy. 



WINCHESTER, Benj. P. and EUza. 

2-23-1817— Heriot B. 
7-25-1819 — Mary Ann. 

3- 7-1820— Martha. 
1-25-1822— John. 

11-16-1824— Benj. 

7- 9-1826 — Sarah. 
6-29-1829— Orin. 
9-28-1831— Betsy. 

RUSSELL, David and Betsey. 

1-13-1799— Heman. 
2-19-1800— Sophia. 
4-15-1803— Alvin. 

8- 3-1805— Betsey. 
5-1S-1808— Euni.s. 
7-19-1811— Orilla. 
8-29-1813 — Asa Whiting. 
3-23-1816— David, Jr. 

HINDES, Wcter (?) and Betsey B. 

9-16-1825— Benj. J. 
2-15-1827— Sumner B. 
8-14-1828— Tyalmon (?) 

HUBBARD, John and Christiana. 

4-24-18,30— John E. 

VEIAZE, Stephen and Mertha. 

11- 5-180(3 — Isaac Veazie. 
11-13-1808— John Viazie. 

4- 4-1810 — Pelina Veiazie. 
5-19-1812— Laban Veazie. 
6-14-1815— Stephen Veazie, Jr. 

12- 3-181(3 — Mertha Hurston Veazie. 
10-17-1820 — Mary Jane Veazie. 

WEYMOUTH, Walter and Mary. 

8-20-1804— Walter. 
11-11-180(>— James. 
11-16-1808— Franklin. 

2-10-1811— Mary. 

2-10-181.3— Mercy. 

2-20-1S1.5— William. I 

4- 9-1816- Jonathan. 

3-16-1818— Betsy. 

6- -1821— Daniel. 

1-19-1824— Thomas. 

CHATMAN, Arnold and Betsey. 

6-16-1816 — Emerson. 
9-20-1818— Elizabeth. 

ATKINS, Nathaniel and Olive. 

8-23-1820- Hannah Pike. 

COUILLARD, James and . 

5-22-1797 — Olive. 
9-19-1799— Betsy. 

9- 7-1801- Stephen King. 
9- 3-180.3— Polly. 
9-29-1805— Margaret. 

9- 4-1807 — Susannah. 

5-14-1810— Nancy. 

8- 5-1812 — David Spooner. 

BACHELDER— Dodge and Mary. 

2- 9-181.5— Cambell. 
12-29-1817— John Warren. 
6-29-1820— Marvann. 
2- 9-1823— Daniel. 



48 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



McLAND, Daniel and Sally. 

7-31-1813 — Mary Jane. 
6-12-lSir>— Wm. M. 
10-13-1817 — Joseph. 
7-18-1810- Daniel M. 
7-17-1821— James M. 
8-29-1823— Ruth M. 

Thomas J. 

TUCK, John and Patty. 

1-20-1826— Hananh. 
11-17-1827— Enoch L. 

FISHER, Dr. Paul M. and Mary M. 

7-11-1826— Paul M. Jr. 

11- 9-1827— Francis A. 
11-17-1829 — PrestiDn. 

4-14-1831— Anson. 
12-23-1832— Mary A. 
4- 6-18.34 — Eunice J. 
7- 3-1836— Nancy J. 

6- 1-1838— George H. 

HAWES, James and Frances II. 

7-2r.-lS27 — Rebbiah. 

2- 9-1829— Jas. R. 
6-19-1831— Frances Ann. 

PETTINGIL/t/, John and Susane. 

5-21-1823— Henry F. 
7-20-1825— Betsy. 

3- 1-1829— Sarah C. 
3-30-18.33— John. 

WILLIAMS, Lewis and Susan. 

7- 7-1828 — Benj. 

LINCOLN, Isaiah and Esther. 

1-29-1824- Isaiah. 

3-15-1826— William. 
11-13-1828— Lionel. 
11-19-1S21— Mathew. 

EMERY, Artenias and Naomi. 

4- 6-1826 — Stephen W. 
3-26-1828 — Thomas B. 

10-29-1829— Artemas. 
11-24-1831— Mary E. 
7-29-1834 — Josephas. 

5- 8-18.36— Melissa. 

8- -18.37 — Francis D. 

GODDING, Amasa and Mary. 

2- 9-1823 — Eliza Ann. 
7-21-1825 — Joyephine. 
1-22-1828 — William P. 
4-27-1831— Harriet. 

3- 7-18;'.;'. — Mary. 
3- 4-1S35— Elmyra. 
2- -1837 — Amasa. 

MORSE, Wm. and Abigail. 

4-25-1826— John. 
1-16-1828— Betsey Ann. 
4-22-1829 — Mary Jane. 

12- 9-1830 — Irene. 

COUILLARD, Stephen K. and Hepsi- 
bah. 

9-10-1825— Elijah. 
8- 7-1827 — Hepsibah. 



WHITE, Lewis and Anne. 

11-10-1814— David. 

4-25-1816— Joel. 
10-27-1.S19— Harlot. 

9- 9-1822— Roby. 

;>- 19-1X26 — Amelia Ann. 

9-;](»-lS2.S — Abig-ail. 

4-i;'.-lS;!t — Lewis Washington. 

6-13-18.36 — Unity Amandy. 

KNOWLES, David and Mary. 

5-23-1822 — Warren T. 

LANE. Moses W. and Melinda. 

6- .5 1821 — Emaline. 
2-10-1824— Lewis. 

PRATT, Thomas and Sally. 
11- 9-1819- Lydia. 
2-16-1822- Sarah Ann. 
STEWARD, David and Elizabeth. 
10-22-182;',— David D. 

1- 7-1825 — Elizabeth M. 
12-10-1827— Levi M. 

HUBBARD, John and Hariot. 
11-10-1823— HariiDt. 

KNOWLES, Jonatlian and Fanny. 
12-10- [82.3— James B. 

CLARK, John and Ruth. 
1-19-1809— Josiah. 
4-11-1811- John W. 
1- 7-1813 — Thomas. 
1-17-1816— Sally. 
8-12-1822 — Lois. 

BROWN — John and Sally. 
10-17-1822— Charles. 

KNOWLES, Silas and Lovina. 
9- 9-1824— Mary. 
LANCASTER, Elihu and Sally7~ 

10- 4-1817 — Permela. 
10-23-1819— David. 
12-26-1820 — Francis. 

9- 9-1822— Betsey. 
10-11-1824— Elmira. 
4-26-1827— Clarinda. 

DAVIS, Joseph and Rebecca. 

1-24-1825 — Sarah Jane. 

BROWN, Thomas and Claricy. 

4- 4-1S24— Samuel C. 

MOWER, Hiram and Sopha. 

11- 9-1821— Jane P. 

BODGE, Benj. and Phebe. 

9-13-1812— Daniel. 

1- 1-1S15 — Betsy. 

2- 8-1817— Clarisa. 

BODGE, Benj. and Nancy. 

11-19-1822— Benj. 

HOLE, Wm. and Mary. 

1-31-1809 — Elizabeth. 

7- 4-1812— Joseph. 
11-11-181,5— Marv. 

7-12-1818— Lovina. 
6- 7-1821— Wm., Jr. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



49 



MORSE, Philip and Lovina. 

7-25-1816— Isaac. 
7- 8-1818— Seth. 
10-23-1820— Silas S. 
1-23-1824— Benj. T. 
7- 5-1826 — Lovina. 

MORSE, Philip and Mehitable. 
4-20-1828— Pliebeann. 
S- 2-1820— Charles Henry. 

5- 9-1831— Mary Elizabeth. 
12-27-1832— Aurilla. 

KNOWLES, Nathaniel and Tamson. 
11-20-1816— Ira. 

KNOWLES, Seth and Anna. 

3- 4-1799— John. 

7- 3-1801— Henry. 
11- 7-1803— Anna. 
10-12-1805- Lydia. 
10-27-1807— Mary. 

1-27-1810 — Richard Eme>'son. 

COUILLARD, John and Hannah. 

4-26-1813— Loisa. 
11-26-1815— Silas. 
10-19-1818— Isaac. 
10-30-1820— Lovina. 

5-27-1823 — Jane. 

7-15-1826— Hannah. 

7-25-1828— John. 

PEASE, Joseph and Mary. 

12-12-1810— Lewis Barkei. 

3-19-1813— Joseph. 
10-27-1814 — Anna Chamber land. 

4-24-1817— Loisa. 

7-20-1822 — Tamson KinDwles. 

ELLIOT, Alphonso and Mary. 

7- 5-1819— Rufus S. 
2-14-1821— Sarahann. 

BLAKE, Bradljury and Abigail. 

5-16-1807- Paul D. 
1-19-1809— Sopha. 
8-14-1811— Philip. 
1-19-1814— Prudilla. 
4-20-1816— Nancv. 

8- 6-1819— Abigail. 

6- 3-1822— Permela. 

2- 3-1825— Caroline. 

GEORGE, Isaac and Fanny. 

7-12-1809— Mary D. 
8-22-1811— Hezekiah 
12-27-1816— Abigail. 
2-12-1820— Elizabeth K. 

3- 3-1823— Isaac, Jr. 



PAGE, Wm. R. and Sally. 

5-12-1809— Richard E. 
12-18-1810— John D. 
12-19-1812— Albridge G. 

3-22-1814 — Anne E. 

1-21-1816— Wm. R., Ji. 

1-12-1818— Marcy C. 

4-25-1821— Moses. 

3-14-1823 — Oramandel M. 
KNOWIiES, Neliemiah and Rebia. 

6-13-181,8 — Naomi. 

4-15-1X20 — Nehemiah, Jr. 

2- 9-1822— Henry. 

BERRY, John and Anna. 
1-30-1820— Lovina. 
10- 7-1821— Henry. 

MORSE, Samuel and Sally. 
5-21-1821 — Emmy Ann. 
1-10-182.3— Charlotte Jane. 

TURNER, Joseph and Nancy. 
1-26-1824— Catherine S. 
8-15-1826 — Charles Carrol. 

PHILIPS, John F. and Martha. 
2-23-1822— Larritte. 
11-10-182.3- James D. 

3-29-1827— B . 

9-18-1829— Elvy (?). 

BRIGGS, John and Betsey. 
1- 7-1807 — Sophia E. 
9- 5-1808— John A. 
4-11-1810— Thomas J. 
11-24-1.S1.3— William C. 
10-29-181.5 — Maryann. 
11-19-1817— Asa. 
5- 7-1820 — Harriet Q. 
7-25-1822 — Nancy D. 

MOWER, Isaac and Sally. 
1-13-1821— Elias. 
7-15-182.3 — Sarah Augusta. 

CURTIS. James and Nancy. 
4-21-182.3— Lorinda. 
BLANCHARD, Joseph and Hannah. 
12-16-1822— Oren F. 

CAPEN, Lemuel and Darkis. 

1- 5-182.3— Sarah. 

3- 6-182.5 — Asenath. 
4-24-1827— Mary. 

WHITNEY, John G. and Mary. 
10-31-1825— Llewellyn. 

PITNGILL, John and Lurane. 
7-20-1825 — Betsey. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



CHAPTER Xn 



SELECTMEN, TOWN CLERKS and TOWN TREASURERS 



List of Selectmen. 

1817 — William Elder. Joseph Pease, Constant Southard. 

ISIS — William Elder. Abraham Bean, Ebenezer Nutter. 

ISIO — William Elder. Ebenezer Nutter, Benj. P. Winchester. 

1S20 — Ebenezer Nutter. Benj. P. Winchester. Abraham Bean. 

1821 — Ebenezer Nvitter. Abraham Bean. Jonathan Knowles. 

1S22 — Abraham Bean. William Elder, Benjamin P. Winchester. 

182.'> — Benj. P. Winchester. Abraham Bean. Ebenezer Nutter. 

1824 — Benj. P. Winchester. Abraham Bean. Ebenezer Nutter. 

182.~i — Benj. P. Winchester, John Hubbard. Joseph Turner. 

1826 — Thomas Brown. Ebenezer Nutter. Cushman Bassett.. 

1827 — Thomas Brown. Joseph Turner, David Steward. 

1828 — Benj. P. Winchester. Thomas Brown. Abraham Bean. 

1829 — Abraham Bean. John Hubbard, Benj. P. Winchester. 

18;;() — Thomas Brown. Paul M. Fisher, Aliram Seaver. 

1831 — Paul M. Fisher. James Labree, John Brig-gs. 

1832 — Paul M. Fisher. Joseph Prescott. Cushman Bassett. 

1X3.3 — Paul M. Fisher. Joseph Prescott. Cushman Bassett. 

1834 — Henry T. Knowles. Simon Young. Thiimas Brown. 

183^1 — Henry T. Knowles. Thomas Brown. John Johnson. 

18.3!) — Thomas Brown. Henry T. Knowles. John Johnson. 

18:!7 — Thomas Brown. Henry T. Knowles, John Johnson. 

]S:',8 — Thomas Brown. John Hubbard, Silas KniDwles. 

18.30 — Henry T. Knowles. John Lord. David Jones. 

1840 — Thonias Brown. Jacob S. Elliott, Luther Harmon. 

1S41 — Jacob S. Elliott, David Steward, S. T. Rackliff. 

1842 — Paul M. Fisher, James Hawes, Harrison G. O. Weston. 

1S43 — Paul M. Fisher. James Hawes. Harrison G. O. Weston. 

1844 — Paul M. Fisher. Campbell Bachelder. Enoch Bunker, Jr. 

ISl.-) — Hoi-ace WentwiDrth. Abner Seaver. Jacob S. Elliott. 

1840 — Horace Wentworth. Abner Seaver. David Jones. 

1847 — Horace Wentworth. David Jones. John Hutchinson. 

1848 — David Jones. Abner Seaver, Hiram Hurd, Jr. 

-1840 — David Jones, Horace Wentworth. Hiram Hurd, Jr. 

IS.'iO — Horace Wentworth. Enoch Bunker. Robert Knowles. 

1851 — Horace Wentworth. Enoch Bunker. David Jones. 

1852 — Horace Wentworth. Enoch Bunker. Jacob S. Elliott. 

1,S.'),3 — David Jones. Simeon Adams. Stephen Phinney. 

IS.'il — David Jones. Simeon Adams. Stephen Phinney. 

-IS;")") — James Hawes. Simeon Adams. David Steward. 

1,S.")6 — David Jones. Stephen Phinney. Eben D. Roberts. 

1857 — Campbell Bachelder. Enoch Bunker. Robert Knowles. 

-18.58 — Joseph Cook. Robert Knowles. Elam P. Burrill. 

-1S.50 — Joseph Cook. Robert Knowles. Elam P. Burrill. 

-ISOO — Winkworth S. Allen. Samuel Copp. J. R. Mower. 

ISiil — Winkworth S. Allen. Samuel Copp. Eben D. Roberts. 

1S62 — J. C. Chandler. Samuel Copp. Winkworth S. Allen. 

-1S63 — Winkworth S. Allen. Elam P. Burrill. Robert Knowles. 

18()4 — Robert Knowles. Charles H. Morse. Emery Southard. 

-lS(i.5 — Robert Knowles. Charles H. Morse. Emery Southard. 

lS6(i — Robert Knowles, Charles H. Morse. Charles Labree. 

-1867 — Robert Knowles. Charles H. MiDrse. Winkworth S. Allen. 

-[sfiS — Winkworth S. Allen. Elam P. Burrill. Columbus C. Knowles. 

]8fi0 — Winkworth S. Allen. William W. Nutter, Emery Southard. 

1X70 — Robert Knowles. Charles H. Morse. Emery Southard. 

1S71 — Winkworth S. Allen. Jonathan S. Burrill. Columbus C. Knowles. 

is72 — Robert Knowles. Winkworth S. Allen. Isaiah H. Crowell.. 

-1^7.3 — Winkworth S. Allen. Isaiah H. Crowell. Asa F. Crowell. 

1874 — Charles H. Morse. Winkworth S. Allen. Isaiah H. Crowell. 

1875 — Charles H. Morse, W^inkworth S. Allen. Isaiah H. Crowell. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



51 



1S7G- 
1877- 
1878- 
1879- 
1880- 
1881- 
1882- 
1883- 
1884- 
1885- 
1886- 
1887- 
1888- 
1889- 
1890- 
1891- 
1892- 
1893- 
1894- 
1895- 
1896- 
1897- 
1898- 
1899- 
1900- 
1901- 
1902- 
1903- 
1904- 
1905- 
1906- 
1907- 
1908- 
1909- 
1910- 
1911- 
1912- 
1913- 
1914- 
1915- 
1916- 



-Charles H. Morse, A. JudsiDii Richardson, Isaiah H. Crowell. 
-Charles H. Morse, Winkworth S. Allen, A. .Judson Richardson. 
-Charles H. Morse, Winkworth S. Allen, Edward G. Higgins.. 
-Charles H. Morse, Winkworth S. Allen, Edward G. Higgins. 
-Robert Knowles, Edward G. Hig-gins, A. Judson Richardson. 
-Edward G. Higgins, Jonathan S. Burrill, N. Reed Packard. 
-J. S. Burrill. N. R. Packard, S. S. Burrill. 
-J. S. Burrill, N. R. Packard, H. Q. Worthen. 
-J. S. Burrill, N. R. Packard, H. Q. Worthen. 
-J. S. Burrill, N. R. Packard. H. Q. Wi^rthen. 
-J. P. Curtis, F. E. Knowles, H. W. Knowles. 
-F. E. Knowles. H. W. Knowles, J. H. Shepherd. 
-N. R. Packard, J. S. Burrill, J. P. Curtis. 
-N. R. Packard, J. S. Burrill, J. H. Shepherd. 
-N. R. Packard, J. S. Burrill. J. H. Shepherd. 
-J. H. Shepherd, J. S. Burrill, O. L. Jones. 
-J. H. Shepherd. J. S. Burrill. C. J. Trickey. 
-C. J. Trickey, J. S. Buriill, I. M. Bates. 
■C. J. Trickey, J. S. Burrill, I. M. Bates. 
-J. S. Burrill. I. M. Bates, N. R. Packard. 
■J. S. Burrill, I. M. Bates, N. R. Packard. 
■J. S. Burrill, N. R. Packard, L. F. Ireland. 
■N. R. Packard, L. F. Ireland, Abner Brooks. 
-N. R. Packard, L. P. Ireland, Abner Brooks. 
I. M. Bates, G. W. Nutter. O. L. Jones. 
1. M. Bates, G. W. Nutter, O. L. Jones. 
G. W. Nutter. O. L. Jones, J. B. Ros.s. 
C. J. Trickey, W. I. Burrill, Geo. S. Libby. 
C. J. Trickey. W. I. Burrill. H. W. Knowles. 
C. J. Trickey. H. W. Knowles, John M. Katen. 
H. W. Knowles, I. M. Bates, F. E. Knowles'. 
I. M. Bates, M. P. Hamilton. 



■H. W. Knowles. 
-C. L. Jones. M. 
-C. L. Jones. M. 
-C. L. Jones, M. 
C. L. Jones. M. 
C. L. Jones, M. 



P. HamiltiDn, Geo. A. Tibbetts. 

P. Hamilton, E. L. Dearborn. 

P. Hamilton, Seth Lancaster. 

P. Hamilton, Seth Lancaster. 

P. Hamilton, O. L. Spragi e. 
H. D. Ridlon. I. M. Bates, I. R. Shorey. 
H. D. Ridlon, E. E. Hamm, L. W. Knowles. 
H. D. Ridlon. L. W. Knowles, A. C. Knowles. 
C. L. Jones, I. R. Shorey, E. E. Hamm. 



Town Clerk. 



1817— William Elder. 
1818— William Elder. 
1819 — William Elder. 
1820 — William Elder. 
1821 — William Elder. 
1822— William Elder. 
1823 — Benj. P. Winchester. 
1824 — Benj. P. Winchester. 
1825 — Benj. P. Winchester. 



182(5- 


-Benj. 


P. 


Winchester. 


1827- 


-Benj. 


P. 


Winchester. 


1828- 


-Benj. 


P. 


Winchester. 


1829- 


-Benj. 


P. 


Winchester. 


18.30— Benj. 


P. 


Winchester. 


18,31- 


-Paul 


M. 


Fisher. 


1832- 


-Paul 


M. 


Fisher. 


1833- 


-Paul 


M. 


Fisher. 


1834- 


-Paul 


M. 


Fisher. 



18.3.5 — John Johnson. 2d. 
1836 — Ebenezer Howe. 
1837 — Robert Moor. 
18.38 — Robert Moor. 
1839 — Robert Moor. 
1840 — Benj. P. Winchester. 
1841 — Benj P. Winchester. 
1842 — Benj. P. Winchester. 
1843 — Benj. P. Winchester. 



1844 — Benj. P. Winchester. 
1845 — Benj. P. Winchester. 
18-l() — Robert Knowles. 
1817 — Horace Wentworth. 
1S48 — Horace Wentworth. 
1849 — Horace Wentworth. 
18.50 — Horace Wentworth. 
1851 — Horace Wentworth. 
1852 — Nathan J. Robinson. 
1S.53 — Nathan ,1. Robinson. 
18.54 — Paul M. Fisher. 
1S5.5 — Nathan J. Robinson. 
18.56 — Silas S. Morse. 
1857 — Francis A. Fisher. 
1858 — JaoDb Bemis. 
1859 — Jas. Hutchins. 
1S(!0 — Francis A. Fisher. 
18(il — Francis A. Fisher. 
1862— Mark F. Hamilton. 
1863 — Mark F. Hamilton. 
18(t4 — Gipson C. Patten. 
186.5 — Seth Morse. 
1866 — Seth Morse. 
1807 — Seth Morse. 
1868 — Seth Morse. 
1869 — Seth Morse. 
1870— Seth Morse. 



52 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



1871— Seth Morse. 
1872 — Seth Morse. 
1873— Seth Morse. 
1874 — Fred E. Sprague. 
1875 — Fred E. Sprague. 
1876 — Jonathan S. Burrill. 
1877 — Jonathan S. Burrill. 
1878 — Fi-ank B. Knowles. 
1879 — Frank E. Knowles. 
1880 — Frank E. Knowles. 
1881 — Frank E. Knowles. 
1882— J. H. Steward. 
1883- J. H. Steward. 
1884 — J. H. Steward. 
1SS5 — G. D. Steward. 
1886 — Geo. D. Steward. 
1887 — A. B. Patten. 
1888- A. B. Patten. 
1889— A. B. Patten. 
1890 — Will I. Burrill. 
1901 — Will I. Burrill. 
1892 — Will I. Burrill. 
1893 — Will I. Burrill. 
1894 — Will I. Burrill. 



1817 — Ebenezer Nutter. 
1818 — John Couliard. 
1819 — Joseph Pease. 
1820 — Joseph Pease. 
1821 — Joseph Pease. 
1822 — Joseph Pease. 
1823 — Joseph Pease. 
1824 — Joseph Pease. 
1825 — Joseph Turner. 
1826— Philip Morse. 
1827 — John Hubbard. 
1828 — Philip Morse. 
1829 — Philip Morse. 
1830 — John Hubbard. 
18.*',1 — John Hubbard. 
is;i2 — Philip Miarse. 
1S3:> — Philip Morse. 
1834 — Philip Morse. 
18.35 — Philip Morse. 
1S3G — John Lord. 
18.37 — John Lord. 
1838 — John Johnson, 2nd. 
1839 — John Johnson, 2nd. 
1840 — John Johson. 2nd. 
1841 — Paul M. Fisher. 
1842 — Paul M. Fisher. 
1843— John Hubbard. 
1844 — David Steward. 
184.5 — Robert Moor. 
1846 — Robert Moor. 
1847 — Robert Moor. 
1S4S — Robert Moor. 
1849 — Thomas Brown. 
IS.IO — Thomas Brown. 
1851 — Thomas Brown. 
1851 — Thomas Brown. 
1852 — Thomas Brown. 
18.5,3— Paul M. Fisher. 
18.54 — Jas. Hawes. 
185.5 — Jas. Hawes. 
18.56— Paul M. Fisher. 
1857 — Paul M. Fisher. 
18.58- Seth Morse. 
1859 — Isaiah Lincoln. 



1895 — Will T. Burrill. 
1896- Will I. Burrill. 
1897— Will I. Burrill (res.— J. P.Cur- 
tis). 
1898— J. E. Gray. 
1899— J. E. Gray 
1900— J. E. Gray 
1901— J. E. Gray. 
1902- J. E. Gray. 
lOO:;- J. E. Gray. 
1904— C. T. Moses. 
1905 — J. E. Gray. 
1906— J. E. Gray. 
1907 — J. E. Gray. 
1908— J. E. Gray. 
1909— J. E. Gray. 
1910— J. E. Gray. 
1911— J. E. Gray. 
1912— J. E. Gray. 
1913— J. E. Gray. 
1914— J. E. Gray. 
1915— J. E. Grav. 
1916 — Guy C. Nutter. 



Town Ti'easiii"ei\ 



1860— Paul M. Fisher. 

1861 — Paul M. Fisher. 

1862 — Elam P. Burrill. 

1863 — Campbell Bachelder. 

1864- Silas S. Morse. 

1S(J5 — Silas S. Morse. 

1866 — David W. OsgoDd. 

1867 — Elam P. Burrill. 

1868 — Elam P. Burrill. 

1869 — William W. Nutter. 

1870— William W. Nutter. 

1871 — Alden R. Ireland. 

1872 — Oliver Brooks. 

187.'> — Alden R. Ireland. 

1874 — Alden R. Ireland. 

1875 — Alden R. Ireland. 

1876 — Alden R. Ireland. 

1S77 — Alden R. Ireland. 

1878 — Alden R. Ireland. 

1879 — A. Judson Richardson. 

1S80 — Samuel Copp. 

1881 — Samuel Copp. 

1S82— S. Copp. 

1SS.3— S. Copp. 

1884 — J. H. Steward. 

188.5 — G. D. Steward. 

1886— G. D. Steward. 

1887 — F. E. Sprague. 

1SS8— W. I. Burrill. 

18X9- W. I. Burrill. 

1,S90— W. I. Burrill. 

1891— W. I. Burrill. 

1892 — W. I. Burrill. 

189.3— W. I. Burrill. 

1894- W. I. Burrill. 

1895— W. I. Burrill. 

1896— W. I. Burrill. 

1897 — W. I. Burrill (res. — J. E. Gray). 

189,8— J. E. Gray. 

1899— J. E. Gray. 

1900 — J. E. Gray. 

1901— J. E. Gray. 

1902— J. E. Gray. 

190,3— J. E. GraV. 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 53 

1904 — C. T. Moses. 1911— J. E. Gray. 

1905— J. E. Gray. 1912— J. E. Gray. 

1906— J. E. Gray. 1913— J. E. Gray. 

1907— J. E. Gray. 1911— J. E. Gray. 

190S— J. E. Gray. 1915-1. E. Gray. 

1909— J. E. Gray. 1916— Guy C. Nutter. 
1910— J. E. Gray. 



54 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



CHAPTER XI J I 



CIVIL WAR VETERANS 



From the office of the adjutant general was obtained this list of soldiers 
credited to quota of Corinna, Maine, Civil War. Total enlisted from Corin- 
na, 152: 



Russell F. Parkman 
John Knowles 
Goeth E. Stubbs 
John Y. Clark 
Samuel Libby 
John P. Nickerson 
Clement C. Libby 
Mory Mulliken 
Joseph R. Stone 
William Nickerson, Jr. 
Joseph H. Knox 
Jesse R. Stone 
Rufus B. Harmon 
Leander M. Libby 
John M. Safford 
Llewellyn L. Willey 
Daniel P. Raymond 
Joseph Carter 
Daniel W. Pettingall 
Leonard Palmer 
Lewis W. White 
Gipson C. Patten 
Forest E. Steward 
Abram Young 
Owin R. Hole 
Wilber F. Hubbard 
David F. White 
Justin B. Atkins 
Luther Young 
Isaac Morse 
William P. Blaisdell 
Edward Copp 
William O. P. Copeland 
Alfred Veazie 
Joseph J. Elder 
Charles H. Leighton 
Lewis F. Leighton 
George C. Blaisdell 
Francis Babb 
Dennis Sherburn 
Charles H. Lancaster 
Melvin J. Perry 
George J. Osborne 
John Bigelow 
Melvin J. Allen 
Charles P. Osborne 
Llewellyn Copeland 
James Smith 
Horatio Knowles 
Nelson F. Libby 
Corodon O. Stone 
Prentiss Shaw 
Lewis B. Morrill 
James W. Bachelder 
Charles H. Sprague 
Moses Clark 



Robert Givin, Jr. 
Francis Givin 
Henry J. Foster 
Eben Andrews 
A. J. Knowles 
Prentis P. Allan 
Morris Harrington 
John Martin 
Edward Carroll 
Thomas Farley 
James Bradley 
John Winchester 
Albert S. Lander 
Ansel Hannan 
Charles F. Packard 
Alphonso P. Crowell 
Charles E. Dearborn 
Otis Brooks 
Daniel W. Osgood 
Azero Mills 

Roscoe V. N. Knowles 
James Babb 
Charles W. Costigan 
Merrit Southard 
Leonard H. Dearborn 
James P. Ireland 
Ivery M. Barker 
William Bond 
Frank W. Clements 
Henry F. Caswell 
Stephen S. Burrill 
Jonathan Libby 
C. C. Knowles 
Orin Winchester 
John M. Carson 
Charles H. Elder 
Charles E. Thompson 
Samuel Libby 
George C. Roberts 
George W. Knights 
Archibald Shepard 
Michel LeClair 
Thomas McMan 
William H. Moor 
Mitchell Deveau 
Sylvester H. Milliken 
Sylvester E. Kimball 
Stephen F. Whalen 
Manly Copeland 
John J. Weeks 
Chelsey Shaw 
James C. Lander 
Albert G. Gould 
Samuel Gould, Jr. 
Albion S. Carter 
John Mclntire 



A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORINNA 



55 



Marion H. Osgood 
Edwin Gabby 
Abial Lancaster 
Ezra B. Riclcer 
Jacob A. Launder 
Aaron Frost, 2d 
John W. Pettingill 
Samuel Weeks 
William Weeks 
Paul M. Fisher 
John C. Weeks 
George B. Fisher 
George H. Mower 
Charles S. Stone 
Henry F. Weymouth 
John D. Young 
Abner Brooks 
Samuel Dean 
Charles Knowles 
John R. Burrill 



Alvah R. Graffam 
Samuel C. Graffam 
Josiah P. Nickerson 
Charles Nutter 
Elijah G. Tibbetts 
Bailey J. P. Washington 
Luther Stubbs 
John H. Maines 
James M. Batchelder 
Portal M. Black 
Thomas Clark 
James P. Copeland 
Henry J. Foster 
Francis Given 
Robert Given. Jr. 
Henry Nason 
Henry Nason. Jr. 
Charles H. Sprague 
Joseph H. Weymouth 
Stephen F. Wheeler. 



This does not include soldiers enlisted elsewhere, but afterwards resi- 
dents of Corinna. 



INDEX 

It Isn't Your Town. It's You 2 

Foreword 3 

Purchase and First Settlement 5 

Incorporation 8 

First Settlers 10 

The First Physician 16 

The Steward Family 18 

Corinna in Peace and War 23 

Churches 25 

The Lincolns 27 

The Schools 29 

Progress 34 

Marriage Intentions. Marriages and Births 38 

Selectmen. Town Clerks and Town Treasurer 44 

Civil War Veterans ' 54 



I 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



013 983 621 2 



• i 



I, 



